A GREEN-FINGERED phantom thief is plaguing a town with their light-fingered antics.

The mystery plant plunderer has struck in the dead of night at countless homes across Silsden.

Sometimes flowers are dug-up and taken while in other incidents, whole pots have disappeared.

Now, police are appealing for anyone with information to come forward.

One resident, who asked not to be named, said she had been targeted several times.

The 78-year-old says incidents have been occurring since last year, when two pots complete with plants disappeared from outside her cottage.

"I'd gone away for a weekend and when I returned, the pots were missing," she said.

"Then earlier this year I planted up four pansies, but awoke one morning to discover they had been taken. I couldn't believe it."

And now the night-time raider has struck again.

"I'd been with my daughter-in-law to a garden centre and bought a lovely plant and pot – but low and behold, the next day it was gone," she added.

"It's not just me being targeted – it's happening to a lot of people in Silsden.

"The incidents always happen during the night.

"Whoever is responsible clearly has problems, but also they must be quite fit – I wouldn't be able to heave those pots around.

"The latest pot I had stolen cost me quite a bit, but it's not about the monetary value. It is annoying but also it's worrying to think someone is going about at night committing these acts.

"My grandson has now built me a stone trough for my plants. The plants could still go, but they would struggle to remove the trough!"

Keighley Neighbourhood Policing Team (NPT) says it is aware of the incidents.

It said that since the beginning of April, it had received three reports of such thefts around Silsden.

The latest was in the St John's Close area of the town.

An NPT spokesman said investigations had been concluded pending further information coming to light, but added: "We appeal to anyone who has information regarding these offences to contact PCSO 252 Jonathan Turnbull on 101, quoting niche reference number 1613236876."

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