CRUEL thieves have destroyed a disabled woman's "pride and joy" by ransacking her garden . . . for the SIXTH year running.

Wheelchair-bound Jane Canty put all her time, energy and money into creating her one main source of pleasure, but despite ever-increasing security, thieves have again left her world in tatters.

But this time the defiant gardening enthusiast managed to "capture" one of the thieves plundering her garden - on a special security camera she installed at her home. The video clearly shows one of the thieves. It has been handed over to the police. Despite the security, though, Jane, aged 50, from Presto Gardens, Deane, was still left heartbroken to discover for the sixth consecutive year, the heartless crooks had managed to steal all her plants, flowers, shrubs and bedding boxes, flinging the remaining soil carelessly around.

Devastated at previous robberies, Jane had spent a modest lottery win improving security around the small garden - including a wall and the installation of a video camera.

She explained: "It is my pride and joy. It means everything to me.

"I am surrounded by concrete and am unable to leave my home all that often. I have spent a lot of money on the garden not just for my benefit, but others living here as well. "People could just come and sit in it during the summer but now it's all gone - the bulbs, the rose bushes, the lilies which were about to blossom.

"What hurts me so much is that I made myself ill creating the garden. I purposely bought plants I would be able to tend to.

"It gave me something to do and something to look at. It was my only joy and was set to be beautiful this year.

"When the thieves stole the plants previously I was told that I should get in some security so when I had a small win on the lottery earlier this year, I spent the money on a wall and a camera but it has still happened again.

"I can't understand why anyone would want to do something like this to me."

Jane, who has no immediate family, has a care worker in seven days a week. She has suffered numerous strokes in the past few years and is wary of travelling out of doors.

Police are investigating the theft and Jane now hopes the video film will result in the thief being arrested.

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