VOLUNTEERS who helped to create an award winning railway garden are blooming furious.
Flower baskets and plants at Handforth Station have been targeted by thieves.
Mike Bishop, 63, who founded friends of Handforth Station six years ago, was shocked to discover two floral showpieces had been taken in an overnight raid.
"It's upsetting what they have done," he said. "They've taken two lovely hanging baskets and damaged a lovely plant pot in.
"We've done an awful lot of work there, we've decorated it with flowers and made many other improvements, which have helped us to win third place in the recent Handforth in Bloom competition and we have had various other awards.
"But someone has come along and taken our only two hanging baskets, which will probably end up at a car boot sale."
A much-admired plant pot, featuring the face of Henry VIII and designed by a local artist, was also damaged.
An automatic watering system, which the group, feared may have flooded the building had it been tampered with, but left intact.
Luckily, Big Brother was watching the offenders.
Handforth station is one of the few to have CCTV installed and footage recorded by from the seven, 24-hour surveillance cameras is being studied.
"We are very proud of the station and we are trying to protect it from those who want to spoil it," added Mr Bishop.
"We want to get the message across that are there cameras protecting the station and the culprits are being watched."
British Transport Police said this is the first such crime at Handforth Station.
Sgt Dave Thomas added: "There was a theft of two hanging baskets last Wednesday and an officer is investigating this matter.
"We are examining CCTV footage and inquiries are continuing."
Nobody from the station operators, First North Western, were available for comment at the time of writing.
