Popular farmer's house robbed after his death

The home of a Somerset community legend has been burgled and vandalised just one month after his death.

Farmer Wilfred Peddle, known in Glastonbury as the "Egg Man", made a living selling eggs from the back of his Morris Minor van.

After he passed away in June aged 74, hundreds of people attended the funeral at St John The Baptist Church.

His relatives visited his home on Sunday morning to find that someone had “broken in and completely trashed" the home.

Thieves have burgled the empty house left behind by Wilfred Peddle

Heather Merriman is relative of Wilfred, who was her mother's cousin.

She told BBC Radio Somerset: “Wilfred’s memory has just been muddied by a few callous people.

“We don’t know all the items that were left in the house - only Wilfred knew that and it’s heartbreaking.

“My auntie and uncle's bedroom - they’ve been gone for 20 years - Wilf preserved the room. It’s now just a heap of rubbish, it’s an awful memory."

Ms Merriman added that there were "footmarks all over the wall" and a window was broken.

She said Avon and Somerset Police had been contacted, and were investigating.

The family said they were 'heartbroken' to see the rooms vandalised

Mr Peddle's death in June generated a wave of sympathy locally, with hundreds of people attending his funeral and thousands of comments of support posted on social media.

Ms Merriman and the family said they were "overwhelmed" with the affection shown by local people.

She continued: “I think I was quite surprised at how much Wilf meant to so many people when he passed away.

"We've heard so many stories from people at the funeral, especially when he continued to deliver eggs during the horrendous snow, on his sled.

“He was a very eccentric character. He lived a very simple life in this day and age. He didn’t have a phone or a TV, he just had a radio and I think people loved that."

Ms Merriman added the whole family were still "really upset" but thanked the Glastonbury community for their "wonderful support".

Mr Peddle died in June and his iconic Morris Minor was part of the funeral procession

Avon and Police said they are investigating the incident where Mr Peddle's home was broken into with personal items stolen.

In a statement, the Police said: “We were called at 8.20am on Tuesday 16 July to a report that entry had been forced to an address in Old Wells Road, Glastonbury and a safe stolen.

“The incident is believed to have taken place at some time between midday on Saturday 6 July and 8am on Tuesday 16 July.

“If you have any information which could help our investigation, please call 101 and quote reference 5224184501 to the call handler.”