West Lothian family devastated after '˜entire garden stolen'

A family have been left 'devastated' after artificial grass was stolen from their front garden in the middle of the night.

Mum-of-two Sue Scorer, 30, was horrified to discover her entire garden’s AstroTurf taken and fence flattened when she awoke on Sunday morning.

Sue said: “I woke up on Sunday morning and was washing my hands when I looked out my window and saw that the trampoline was on the other side of the garden. I opened the window to see what was going on and saw all the grass was gone and the fence was down.

“I thought I was dreaming. I was in shock, I couldn’t believe it. I called the police straight away to report what had happened.”

Before and after. The scene after brazen thieves stole the entire garden

Sue, a fitness consultant, has lived in the house for six years and had the £4,000 Astroturf put down four years ago so her two boys could play football without getting dirty.

Aaron, eight, and Charlie, four, were not in the house when the thieves struck, but Sue says they have been left “really upset”.

She said: “My eight-year-old is always outside playing football and kids from the area are always round in the garden playing, so it’s devastating.

“I was so shocked because it’s been down for four years, it’s not like it was freshly laid. The kids’ toys had been moved around the garden. One of the toys was over in the neighbours’ because they must have had to move them all to get the grass up.

Sue Scorer with her boys Aaron and Charlie in the front garden of their home in Livingston where thieves stole the astroturf. Picture; SWNS

“It had to be planned. There was no way someone was just strolling past and decided to take it. And there are marks on it from where the trampoline was and the kids have been playing. It is scary to think people were in my garden while I was asleep inside.”

Friends and neighbours have been sharing the news after thousands of people shared Sue’s Facebook post about the incident. A kind landscaper who read the post has offered to replace the grass and fix the fence for free.

Neighbour Kathleen Clark posted on a public Facebook post that people should “inform the police ... if anyone hears of anyone getting a ‘new lawn’”.

Sue says that another nearby neighbour also had their Astroturf taken on the same night.

She said: “My neighbour caught it all on CCTV. I happened at 4.20am on Sunday morning. It looks like three young men all with their hoods up. Half of my grass was later found in a bush about three streets over.”

Police Scotland has been approached for comment.