Lincoln rose theft: Woman with pitch fork spotted at scene

The roses were planted in September in memory of the Duke of Edinburgh

A woman seen holding a pitch fork is wanted by police over the theft of 35 Duke of Edinburgh rose bushes from the grounds of Lincoln Cathedral.

The bushes, which were planted in memory of Prince Phillip and are worth about £700, were taken from outside the cathedral on Sunday night.

Lincolnshire Police said a woman had been seen with the garden tool and are appealing for her to get in touch.

Anyone with relevant CCTV or dashcam footage is urged to contact police.

'Shocked and upset'

A spokesperson said: "Investigating officers would like to hear from anyone who may have been in the area around the time the theft occurred, and area also appealing for anyone with CCTV or dashcam footage of this area".

The rose bushes are believed to have been taken sometime between 23:00 BST on Sunday 16 April and 01:00 BST on Monday 17 April.

Michael Graves, acting clerk of works at the cathedral, said staff were "shocked and upset" at the theft.

He said they were planted in September to honour the duke, who died in 2021 - nine weeks before his 100th birthday.