Sussex farm shop robbed by masked men in ‘terrifying’ raid
A farmer has described being woken up in the small hours of Friday night to see four masked men skulking a few yards away from their house.
Chrissy Wells from South Brockwells Farm, Isfield said: "The dogs woke us up. There were four masked men, clearly looking for things to steal. They must have realised we'd been alerted as we heard a car start up. We called 999 and police tried to track the car down but couldn't catch it. It was absolutely terrifying. Neither of us can sleep now, wondering if this is going to happen again."
Chrissy Wells and her husband Arron then discovered their farm shop had been broken into and ransacked. Chrissy went on: "They'd taken all our chilled and frozen produce including packages made up for Christmas. Also all our kitchen and butchery equipment including knives had gone. This means we've had to close the shop.
"Four local farm shops have closed down recently. People say, 'Oh, you'll soon pick up again' but I'm not a Richard Branson kind of person, I'm a farmer and this has dealt us a dreadful blow. We've fought long and hard to keep the shop going and we've had to overcome so many difficulties, such as when the lane outside was closed to through traffic for months a year ago." She said she'd been told the meat stolen turns up at car boot sales across London. "People are short of money and will buy anything, not querying where it comes from."
In a similar incident on the same night, four individuals broke into a locked garage at Allens Farm, Mere's Lane, Five Ashes, and stole power tools and emptied freezers containing a large batch of meat just collected from the butcher. Owners say the stolen meat is clearly labelled Allens Farm and if thieves attempt to rip the labels off visible label marks or adhesive residue will remain on the packaging.
CCTV and doorbell footage captured images of four individuals wearing balaclavas and carrying bolt croppers. They were thought to be targeting nearby properties. Police say if you have been offered suspiciously cheap meat, please let them know by calling 101 quoting number: SXP-20261107-0063
This was the last and worst incident in a difficult year for South Brockwells. The farm grows and sells seasonal asparagus attracting buyers from London and the South East. They run a small livery yard and cross country course although Chrissy says that was severely affected by the hot dry summer. The farmers are also deeply concerned about the proposed battery energy storage system being considered at the Bentley Estate nearby.
But neighbours and friends are supporting the Wells family and have started a GoFundMe campaign to help them re-stock the shop. To donate or find out more, simply search for 'GoFundMe South Brockwells Farm'
Chrissy says, thanks to overwhelming help, they should be able to re-open the farm shop in December and then monthly into the New Year. They intend to continue with asparagus sales. They also run programmes for schoolchildren and organise farm open days to show visitors where their food comes from.
She went on: "After more than 30 years as an independent, entirely self-funded business this could have brought our journey to a deeply painful end. What has been a lifelong labour of love, built through years of hard work, dedication and determination, has been taken from us in one devastating night. We thank every single one of you for your custom, friendly and loyal support over the years. You have been much more than customers and we hope you understand just how much your support has meant to our family."