A GARDENER who had £400 of exhibits stolen at a county show has received ‘compensation’ fromorganisers — and will now donate the payment to his former primary school to develop its plot. Brian Storer, of Princess Avenue, Linton, has been handed ‘a three-figure sum’ by Shrewsbury Flower Show after thieves escaped with 20 of his 24 entries for this year’s event. The 64-year-old, whose loss was reported in the Mail, threatened to sue co-ordinators unless they addressed alleged security failings he claimed had allowed the public to escape with ‘98 per cent’ of the show’s exhibits.
Organisers have now responded by giving Mr Storer an undisclosed sum to compensate him for the time and travel costs involved in recovering his remaining exhibits. They have also promised to waive his entry fees to next year’s event and tighten security to prevent a repeat of what happened in August, when Mr Storer claimed it was lifted before gardeners had time to reclaim their produce. “It’s fine and I’m happy,” he said. “I could have got more but I was not worried about that. “I was more worried about getting the problem sorted and I now fully believe they are doing something about it.
“They knew they had done wrong and admitted there were problems. “It’s a satisfactory outcome from my point of view.” Mr Storer said he would make his compensation up to £500 before donating the money to Linton Primary School to develop its garden. The gardener said he and his friend, Dave Coates, would develop raised beds before using the money to plant them and an existing plot with flowers and vegetables. His donation would also be spent on tools, a water main for the garden and possibly a shed. “Hopefully, I will then carry on donating to them,” said Mr Storer, who is also planning to help the Main Street school’s 230 children hone their green-fingered skills.
“We are incredibly grateful and it’s going to give massive opportunities to the pupils to take part in gardening and learn about horticulture,” said Michelle Coates, a member of the school’s senior leadership team.
“What’s even nicer is that Mr Storer was a pupil here himself. It’s lovely for him to give something back.”
She said the school hoped to enter produce grown with Mr Storer’s help in next year’s Chapman’s show in Rosliston.