A THIEF has frustrated a parish council's attempts to brighten up its village by pinching shrubs from a Jubilee display.

Now Clayton-le-Woods Parish Council is hoping to bring in police patrols to catch the offender if he decides to strike again.

The two displays of heathers, conifers and rhododendrons were situated at the top of Sandy Lane and at the entrance to Clayton Brook Road from Bamber Bridge at a combined cost of more than £1,600.

Stephen Fenn, parish council leader, said: "A person rang me up to say they looked wonderful. The next day they had gone! "

The parish council hopes to use the police's mobile CCTV cameras to prevent it happening again. And it is not the first time the council have encountered such pilfering.

Parish councillor Glenda Charlesworth said: "We have had it before, we have even had somebody pinching safety mats from a playground. We're not talking about teenagers here, we are talking about adults who think they can just take what they want. We're not going to let them win as we want Clayton-le-Woods to look nice.

"It is a shame that we have gone to so much effort and someone comes and digs them up."

This week new shrubs and flowers were planted by Clayton-le-Woods firm Bedrock Landscapes.

Eileen Whiteford, parish council clerk, has been down to see them.

She said: "Residents have been terribly upset about it. Anyone with a conscience would go to the garden centre and buy their own shrubs."