Cotgrave: Mystery as 2,000 litres of water vanishes from garden

Volunteers at Cotgrave Community Garden found two of their three water tanks empty

Volunteers who run a community garden have been left perplexed after more than 2,000 litres of water disappeared from two storage tanks.

The team at Cotgrave Community Garden in Nottinghamshire found the containers were empty, despite them being "full to the brim" just days before.

Vandalism has not been ruled out, despite the taps and valves on the tanks remaining intact.

Severn Trent Water has now offered to refill the containers.

The Cotgrave Community Garden grows food, fruit and flowers that are "shared with anyone and everyone who needs it".

With no mains supply available on site, the garden is completely reliant on rainwater.

Vegetables, fruit and flowers are grown at the community garden

Volunteers first discovered one of the containers was empty about three weeks ago, while another tank was found to be dry on Saturday.

"Over winter we worked really, really hard to collect as much rainwater as possible ready for an expectedly dry summer," said project co-ordinator Samie Mathers.

"We had about 2,600 litres about three weeks ago and the water just disappeared.

"[There were] no signs of the water on the ground anywhere, none of the taps were open. As far as we are aware it's just disappeared into thin air."

Vandalism has not been ruled out, despite the taps and valves on the tanks remaining intact

With fewer than 100 litres of water left on Monday, volunteers launched an urgent appeal for donations of water.

But a spokesperson for Severn Trent confirmed the company had stepped in and offered to replenish both tanks.