Four security geese are being recruited to guard a Springfield garden centre after burglars struck for the second time in a matter of months.

Business partners David Wood and Dean Goody, who bought the Jewels Garden Centre 18 months ago, are offering a £1,000 reward for information leading to the prosecution of raiders who got away with £15,000 worth of power tools and office equipment.

The partners have now installed a hi-tech 24 hour security alarm system, but say the idea for the geese came from Scotland where the birds are used as early warning 'sentries' at whisky distilleries.

This Is Essex wishes its readers an enjoyable bank holiday. Our National News and National Sport services will operate as normal across the extended weekend break; the Local News and Local Sport sections will be updated on Tuesday morning. Mr Wood said: "We have decided to buy four geese because they make a heck of a honking racket when disturbed, they don't respond to being fed and they are more scary than a guard dog.

"Once we have put security fencing around the centre the geese will be brought to patrol the perimeter."

The thieves who struck last Tuesday evening also dismantled the closed circuit security cameras and video recorders which had taped them breaking into the centre.

It was the second raid at the Colchester Road premises in the past three months and Chelmsford CID are investigating the incidents.

The first time the thieves got away with £7,000 worth of power tools, which were replaced, only for the new equipment to be stolen.

Mr Goody said: "They took away three chainsaws, a bandsaw, drills, generators, all the power tools we use to make garden furniture, panels and trellises, as well as TVs and the cash till.

"They were very thorough, but although we are depressed they have not put us out of business."

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