Carly Burd: 'I want to make positive from Harlow allotment salt attack'

A woman whose community food allotment was damaged after someone threw salt over it said she was determined to "make a positive" out of the vandalism.

Essex Police is continuing to investigate the attack on Carly Burd's plot in Harlow earlier this month.

Volunteers rallied to help her replant and meanwhile Ms Burd is distributing food parcels to those in need, using money she collects from fundraising.

One of those she helps described Ms Burd as "an angel".

Ms Burd, 43, first revealed the damage to her allotment, which she uses to grow vegetables for people in her community struggling with the cost of living, in an emotional video shared via TikTok.

Police believe the incident happened between 14:00 BST on 7 April and 09:00 on 8 April.

Ms Burd said 300 onions were recently planted by local children but the salt would have potentially contaminated any moisture in the soil and killed the seeds and potato crops were also ruined.

Supporters of her cause, including Match of the Day presenter Gary Lineker and entrepreneur Steven Bartlett, have so far donated almost £250,000 to help her rebuild her charitable work and the allotment.

Speaking about how she began her charitable work, Ms Burd said: "I just woke up one morning and thought, 'I need to feed everyone' - I don't know what came over me."

She said she had helped more than 1,600 people so far and has "donation pots" in the area to collect money to help buy food.

Talking about the salt attack, she said: "Who would someone do something so vicious? And it's had such a big impact. Nature got affected."

She said members of Essex police had said they would come down and help dig the allotment.

"That's absolutely brilliant, bless them."

Sally Goodbrand has a number of health issues including emphysema, and had been hoping for a lung transplant, but said she had recently been told she was not suitable.

"That was probably my last hope," she said

Although she can occasionally use her mobility scooter, getting to the shops was very difficult, she said.

"Disability [allowance] doesn't stretch that far and that's where Carly comes in.

"In Harlow she's helped so [many] people - it's her whole attitude to it, you know?

"She's a fighter - a true fighter.

"It means the world - I call her my angel."

David Moore began helping Ms Burd after seeing her Facebook group - Food from me with love - and now drives food parcels to those in need as well as working on the allotment.

"It's very rewarding - for everyone she's helping - hundreds of people," he said.

"I just wanted to get involved and Carly was calling out for drivers and I've been here ever since.

"I feel as though I'm helping people, and that helps me."

Ms Burd added: "Although something nasty happened to me, it's made people jump in and work together.

"You've always got to make it a positive."

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