Selfish thieves ransack Attenborough Nature Reserve leaving angry staff with £10k bill

A popular Nottingham nature reserve is facing a £10,000 bill after thieves broke in, caused damage and stole equipment. 

Staff at the Attenborough Nature Reserve first discovered the break-in whilst opening up on Tuesday, February 20.

According to the nature reserve, thieves broke into storage sheds, taking chainsaws, drills and other tools, valued at around £7,000. 

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A further £3,000 in damage was caused to the ice cream and coffee unit, leaving staff “angry and frustrated” at an estimated total bill of £10,000. 

Attenborough Nature Reserve is home to more than 250 bird species and attracts around 500,000 visitors each year. 

Beth Maples, Business and Operations Coordinator at Nottinghamshire Wildlife Trust, said: “The staff and volunteers that care for this special wetland and other nature reserves across the county are busy year-round, but they are particularly busy right now trying to ensure that vital habitat work is completed ahead of the main bird nesting season. 

“The loss of so many tools will have a significant impact and may mean that we are forced to postpone some work until after the summer. 

“Replacing the tools will be costly and time-consuming, and we would be grateful for any support in terms of donations. and we’d be delighted to hear from tool suppliers that might be able to donate replacements.” 

Anyone with information about the break-in should contact Nottinghamshire Police on 101, quoting crime reference number 24000103852.