THIEVES stole litter-picking equipment from volunteers who were donating their spare time to cleaning up beaches at a nature reserve.

Nigel Odin, who organises the monthly litter picks at Landguard, Felixstowe, said the incident happened last Saturday. While volunteers were picking litter a supply of black bin bags, pick sticks, hoops to hold the bags open, and gloves were left out for latecomers to join in.

“In over 20 years of organising and attending litter picks at Landguard never before have the tools to help volunteers keep the beaches clean and tidy been stolen,” said Mr Odin.

“Petty theft has always been a fact of life at Landguard but we never dreamed someone would stoop this low to thieve items donated by volunteers who give up their spare time to keep the place clean and tidy.

“I only hope that the criminal who stole these items will use them to pick up rubbish elsewhere!”

Items stolen in a hessian sack were a quantity of gloves and black bin bags, plus plastic hoops to hold open the bags. All the items had been donated by volunteers or by Suffolk Coastal council, which supports the work to keep Landguard litter free.