Rare lilacs ransacked by thieves

Daniel Shane writes: Volunteers are restoring a rare collection of lilacs after they were left devastated by cold-hearted thieves.

The National Collection of Syringa in Withdean, near Brighton, was recently stripped by opportunist burglars who made a getaway with a large number of the valuable flowers, according to the Royal Horticultural Society (RHS).

To add to the centre's woes, the attack happened just days before its annual lilac festival - although the event still went ahead as planned.

Phillipa Shaw, co-ordinator of the collection and its volunteers, told the RHS: "We're absolutely devastated that such a beautiful collection should be butchered by someone who's just done it for monetary gain.

"We don't understand it really."

It is thought that the plants were taken by professionals to be sold on the black market.

The Withdean Park collection currently houses about 160 different species of Syringa among its collection of about 700 plants.

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