ANGRY Derrington residents were left reeling after the award-winning village was hit by theft for the second time in six months.
An oak kissing gate, donated by a resident, on the village’s Millennium Green, was stolen between the evening of Thursday, August 30 and the early morning of Friday, August 31.
Vice chairman of Derrington Parish Council Jean Wetton said discovering the on her morning walk that the gate had been “very upsetting”.
“It was really a shock,” she said. “I went through there early on Friday morning and as I reached the green I saw that the gate and the post next to it were gone.”
Councillor Wetton said the Millennium Trust, which maintains the green, acted quickly to replace the gate on Sunday, but the crime was frustrating for a community that has worked hard to improve its living space.
“It just feels like you’re banging your head against a brick wall trying to improve the environment,” she said. “Of course, rural crime is everywhere, it’s not unique to us but it’s not nice.”
Councillor Gillian Cox said: “People are just gutted because there’s a lot of good community spirit in this village.
“I just can’t believe someone would do something like this.”
The village, which was crowned Best Kept Village 2012 by the Community Council of Staffordshire, was rocked earlier in June when two wooden planters laid out for the competition were stolen.
Staffordshire Police said anyone with any information regarding the latest theft should call 101 quoting incident number 413 of August 31 or call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555111.
