Little old lady steals plants

CCTV camera footage at the KB Thai restaurant in Woy Woy has recorded the theft of several plants from the premises by an elderly woman in the early hours of November 2.

Business owner Mr Terry Howells said the restaurant had seen a number of incidents involving the theft of plants and vandalism by drunken youth since he opened in 2000, but never from a senior citizen.

The restaurant's CCTV camera captured footage of the elderly lady, believed to be in her late 60s, uprooting several plants at around 2.30am.

"I just can't believe this little old lady has gotten out of bed in the middle of the night to steal plants. How desperate can you get?" Mr Howells asked.

Mr Howells said he installed the CCTV system five years ago after experiencing countless incidents of vandalism, theft and malicious damage to the restaurant by drunken youth in the middle of the night.

He said although the number of incidents had reduced since installing the cameras, at least one incident a week, usually on a Friday or Saturday night, was recorded.

"It has gotten to the stage where I don't bother calling the police anymore," Mr Howells said.

"Nothing ever comes of it.

"It also doesn't help when Woy Woy Police Station is not manned 24 hours a day.

"It is very frustrating when we try and make a clean, friendly and relaxing atmosphere for customers to enjoy their food only to have it continually destroyed."

Colonial Village Bakery baker Mr Paul Bryant said he believed he saw the same woman near the front of Woy Woy Library on the same night.

The elderly woman "hanging around" the front of the library, opposite the bakery in Blackwall Rd, holding several large buckets, he said.

He said a short time later he noticed around 15 plants missing from the garden beds and the lady was gone.

The crime manager at Gosford police station was unavailable for comment at the time Peninsula News went to press.

Clare Graham, 13 Nov 2009 Interviewee: Terry Howells, KB Thai Paul Bryant, Colonial Village Bakery