'Someone stole £20 worth of blooms in one day'

Leah Francombe said the recent thefts have made her think about closing her stall

A florist has spoken of her disappointment after bouquets of flowers were stolen from her roadside stall, which she leaves unattended with an honesty box.

Leah Francombe runs a floristry business from a garden workshop at her home in Wilburton, near Ely, Cambridgeshire. Six months ago she started selling blooms from a pop-up stall outside her property.

Over the past couple of months people have been stealing displays, which has made her think about closing her stall.

She said: "Someone stole £20 worth of blooms in one day. I look forward every day to getting up and putting my flowers out, it is so sad really."

"I have been a full-time florist for 15 years now, we moved to Wilburton just over two years ago. I have a nice workshop in the back garden for doing my main day-to-day floristry work," said Mrs Francombe.

Six months ago she had an idea to utilise unused flowers by setting up a flower stall outside her front door for passing trade.

"I put a few buckets of flowers out each morning, small and large bouquets, plants I have nurtured myself, potted them up in nice containers. Nice and cheap, as I always have left over stems from weddings and funerals," she said.

The stall displays QR codes for customers to make payments online and a place to leave cash.

Customers can either leave cash in an honesty box or pay online via a QR code

"I get so much pleasure putting my flower bunches out, they are all fresh, it gives me such a buzz when I get a random social media message saying that someone has had their day brightened up with my work and that they'll call [at the stall] again next week."

Mrs Francombe had installed a bell system with a sign asking customers to ring if they want to speak to her.

"It's not about the money, it's more about all the time I put into this. Someone stole £20 worth of blooms in one day.

"I look forward every day to getting up and putting my flowers out, it is so sad really.

"It is upsetting, like a kick in the teeth, it happens in broad daylight.

"I put the flowers out at 09:00 BST and they are taken during the day. I bring them all in overnight," added Mrs Francombe.

The flower stall sits outside Mrs Francombe's property in Wilburton

Mrs Francombe posted about the thefts on social media, and has since had messages of support. Yet she said she has been thinking about closing the roadside stall side of her business, even though she loves it so much.

She has not informed the police, as she thought the flowers were of too low value to report.

"It would be a waste of [the police's] time and mine, all I'd get is a crime number, I just feel very sad about it all," she said.