Police are keen to identify the culprit who stole shrubs planted near the train station by Exmouth in Bloom volunteers.

Exmouth in Bloom said the mature shrubs were ‘yanked’ out of planters and sometime over the October school half term holiday.

The theft of plants is the second blow to the bloom volunteers – last week the group’s Britain in Bloom award-winning swan boat display, near the town’s swimming pool, was vandalised.

Marion Drew, spokeswoman for Exmouth in Bloom, said the plant thefts had left the members feeling ‘sad’.

She said: “During the school half term period four plants were yanked out of the new station-ramp planting in Exmouth.

“There was no sign of them anywhere.

“They were stolen to put in someone’s garden, no doubt.

“They were mature shrubs, one of them a metre high.

“If they were dumped somewhere they have probably died by now, which is sad.”

Call police with information on 10, quoting crime reference CR/106157/18.