A dog was hailed a hero after it foiled a thief attempting to steal rare orchids valued at £18,000 on the black market.
Ted, a clumber spaniel, caught a man digging up extremely rare ’military’ orchids in a daring mid-morning raid in woodland near Medmenham.
The dog was out walking with his owner, Nicholas Milner, when he confronted the man in the National Trust protected land, the only place in Britain where these valuable orchids grow.
Mr. Milner, of Lodge Farm, said: “I asked the man what he was doing, as he was holding two plastic bags full of orchids. He told me he was collecting limestone, which he clearly wasn’t as you could see plants poking through the top.
“Once he realised the game was up he handed me the bags, took back his trowel and fled to his getaway car. I managed to shout to a passer-by who took down the license plate number so we could hand it to the police,“ he said.
Nicholas and Ted then drove home and phoned the Wildlife Trust which came to the farm and replanted the plants within an hour.
“Without Ted’s enthusiasm, keen nose and sense of justice we wouldn’t have been able to catch him,“ said Nicholas. “It’s important to raise awareness, keep an eye out and support our wildlife, flora and fauna. Everyone should be vigilant because if we are not careful there won’t be any left.“
Simon Towers, wildlife crime officer for Thames Valley Police, said: “We take episodes like this extremely seriously because it attacks the fabric of the countryside. This is an ongoing investigation and we hope to make an arrest.“
Published on 16 June 2008
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