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Pony sanctuary targeted by thieves weeks after fire

BBC A horse at the sanctuaryBBC
The owner of the sanctuary said she was "devastated"

A pony sanctuary in Leicestershire has been targeted by thieves just weeks after it was hit by a fire.

A ride-on mower was stolen from Axel's Acres Pony Rescue in Betty Hensers Lane, Mountsorrel, at the weekend.

The break-in came after a blaze at the self-funded sanctuary on 13 May.

Owner Sharon Bunney said her family had been left “devastated” by the events.

A fence which set alight during the fire
Fences surrounding the site were burned during the fire

“Everything has been a bit bonkers for the past couple of weeks,” Ms Bunney said.

“We’ve been here for 16 years and never had a spot of bother, now all this happens."

Leicestershire Police believe the site was targeted by thieves between 15:00 BST on Saturday and 09:00 on Sunday.

The force said no arrests had been made following the theft of the mower.

Ms Bunney said the sanctuary had been preparing to open a family-friendly business to help fund the keeping of the rescued animals.

But it has had to close following the fire, which she said damaged storage and equipment sheds, fences and a horse trailer.

An image of the damage the fire caused
The fire caused extensive damage at the horse sanctuary

Ms Bunney added: “Luckily most of the horses' instincts kicked in and they moved right to the top corner of the field.

“They had moved to the corner but their paddock was pretty engulfed. We had them checked over by the vet and their lungs seemed okay.

“We’re counting ourselves lucky that it wasn’t in the middle of the night and people were in the area at the time.”

Supplied Plumes of smoke and flames as the fire takes holdSupplied
Firefighters were called to extinguish the flames at the sanctuary

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