Warwick pensioner will bounce back from allotment arson devastation

Sylvia Murray, 85, has rented the plot at the Percy Estate allotments for 25 years and has had to contend with flooding to the patch of land in this time.

But she was left devastated when vandals set fire to her shed on Saturday night with the blaze destroying tools, plants, and her greenhouse.

Fortunately, most of the vegetables and plants Mrs Murray planted for the winter were not caught in the blaze and fellow allotment holders and other volunteers have offered to help her clear the debris away tomorrow (Saturday) with Warwick’s deputy town clerk Trudy Ashmore having arranged for a skip to be taken to the site.

Mrs Murray, who is the president of the Warwick Horticultural Society and a member for many years, said: “I have done my crying and now I’m not going to let it get me down anymore.

“I have got some really good friends who are rallying round and they have said that whatever I need to be done they’ll help.”

Mrs Murray, a mother of four who lives in Coventry Road, took up gardening as a hobby when she retired from her job at the former Potterton factory near the allotments.

He daughter Jane said that the plot was like a “lifeline” for her mother who does not have a garden at her home.

Anybody who can help Sylvia replace her tools, shed or the greenhouse can email Jane at [email protected]