Rutland gardener restores patio area at Hannah Coxhead Hair Studio in Oakham after it is damaged by intruder
A good Samaritan stepped up to restore a garden after it was trashed by an intruder.
Staff from the Hannah Coxhead Hair Studio in Oakham were devastated to find their patio area had been trampled and items broken during the weekend before Christmas.
Someone had also defecated in the alleyway.
Thankfully Rutland gardener Ben Leaver, who runs Forget You Not Gardens, was feeling full of festive spirit and offered to clear up the mess for free on Monday last week.
Hannah said: "We are so grateful to Ben for his help. We couldn't believe someone would go out of their way to do that for us, especially just two days before Christmas.
"He was so kind."
The damage happened overnight on Saturday, December 21.
Hannah and her team were initially worried that someone had deliberately targeted their Melton Road premises, but now believe the damage was caused accidentally by someone on a night out.
Residents of nearby flats told Hannah they had contacted the police about seeing a drunk man in the area and one neighbour had spotted a man covered in mud.
Hannah said: "It turns out it was probably an extremely intoxicated man. I don't know whether they had turned into our alleyway by accident and got lost, but I don't think it was malicious.
"It looks like they had fallen onto the plants and struggled to get back up."
Hannah has chosen not to report the matter to the police.
