Harlow gardener considers security after salt sabotage

A community gardener says she will install security to protect her allotment after someone sabotaged the soil by spreading salt.

Supporters have donated more than £225,000 to Carly Burd's initiative since she revealed the damage in an emotional TikTok video on Wednesday.

The mother-of-three grows vegetables for people in Harlow, Essex.

She said she would reluctantly use some of the donated money to pay for CCTV cameras to prevent a repeat incident.

"There will be front gates going up, definitely, and new fencing going up all the way around," she said.

"I don't really want to lock it down like Fort Knox - why are we doing that? This is for our community... just because we've got one bad egg."

Ms Burd, who has multiple sclerosis and lupus, transformed her garden into an allotment last year to help feed people struggling with the rising cost of living.

She expanded to a plot at communal allotments and estimated she has given out food parcels to more than 1,600 people.

A group of children planted 300 onions in the days before the salt incident, she said.

Common salt - sodium chloride - does not usually permanently ruin soil but would dry up any water and moisture.

Former footballer and Match of the Day presenter Gary Lineker and entrepreneur Steven Bartlett are among the people who donated this week.

Ms Burd said she was "gobsmacked" by the donations and also told the BBC on Thursday: "I'd like to have a conversation with the person who's done it.

"I'd like them to meet all the children whose hearts they've broken and watch their response and their little faces, from what they've done to their hard work - but you've got to move on from it."

Essex Police said officers would visit Ms Burd at the allotment to offer support and "identify any criminal acts."

Harlow Council said some of the proposed security changes may require planning permission but that it would try to work with her on the matter.

A spokesman added: "We will continue to work with Carly to help her with this venture which is supporting residents and families with the cost of living."

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