Environmental security

Thieves targeting rare plants prompt botanical gardens to beef up security

Britain's most spectacular botanical gardens have been forced to beef up their security as green fingered thieves target valuable rare plants.

The worrying phenomenon has dramatically increased in recent years, forcing attractions including the Royal Horticultural Society's garden at Wisley, Surrey, and the Royal Botanic Gardens in both Kew and Edinburgh to assess security and install extra CCTV.

Experts fear that rare plants such as orchids from Asia and South America are being stolen to order for collectors or sold on the black market, where they can fetch up to several hundred pounds each.