Terrifying CCTV footage captures masked burglars smashing in the windows of a beautiful alpaca farm’s mobile home.
  • 2 years ago
Terrifying CCTV footage shows masked burglars creeping around a mobile home after smashing their way in and stealing a 100-year-old machete. The break-in was the second raid on the alpaca farm in a year - and saw the thieves break a gate lock and sneak around the site holding a tool. During the early morning theft, the farm's Kryptonite D-lock on the gate was broken then the thieves' truck was backed into Bonnington Farm near Ashford, Kent. One of the group could be seen walking behind with a weapon in hand, as they roamed around in balaclavas. The gang of three could be seen at around 3.25am smashing their way through a door to get inside the outbuilding and searching the kitchen with torches. The thieves made off with a century-old machete used to prune apple trees by the owner's grandparents. Owners Mark Homewood and Tess Wilde are now living in fear of being targeted again by criminals, following the second raid on their home in a year. The couple have been trying to start their own small farm, like Mr Homewood's grandparents. Mr Homewood said the group left nothing untouched as they ransacked the building looking for high-value items to steal. He said: "The machete was of great sentimental value. "My grandparents used to own orchards and it was well-used by them pruning the apple trees." The toll is particularly heavy because the farm is so new - bought by the pair in 2020 during the height of the pandemic. Mr Homewood added: "We were hoping to continue passing it down the generations. "Unfortunately the fear of crime is beginning to take a toll on us." Both have ties to the countryside and always wanted to run a farm, and they’ve succeeded, with 14 alpacas, four baby alpacas, and plans to bring in poultry, rare breed sheep, and bees. Mr Homewood is from a family of Kentish apple farmers and some of his fondest memories are of picking apples during harvest. Tess is from Yorkshire and always loved rural life, and animals. Pictures from their site showed the joy the farm brings to Tess, Mark, and the alpacas, as the pair get up-close to the animals, even head-to-head. They now face a taxing and expensive clear up, the pair said. Mr Homewood added: "Thankfully we were not inside. "They went through the whole place, opened every draw. From what we can tell they didn't steal much more than a pot of Hibiscrub [an antimicrobial skin cleanser] and a machete. "We have been left with thousands of pounds' worth of damage to clear up.” The mobile home the thieves broke into is currently used for storage. The farmer recounted the break in last year: "The last time we were targeted by a criminal was August 26 last year when they cut through the fence and left it wide open. "Fortunately, none of the alpacas escaped." Mr Homewood hopes to raise awareness of the true picture of rural crime. Kent Police said officer are continuing to make enquiries into the burglary.
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