Hundreds of plants were stolen in a raid at a garden centre – almost two years to the day that the premises was targeted by thieves.

Raiders struck at High Bank Nurseries in Quantry Lane, Bell Heath, Belbroughton, taking around 50 hanging baskets, 18 potting trays of fuschias and around 20 mini conifer trees.

Staff had spent hours getting the well-developed wicker hanging baskets prepared for what was due to be one of their busiest weekends of the year – but they arrived on Sunday to find that thieves had struck.

The offenders had cut a padlock on the main entrance to the site, run by Raymond Hill for the past 40 years.

In a previous raid at the centre two years ago, also on the Saturday night before the Whitsun Bank holiday, they had slashed plastic planting tunnels to grab hanging baskets. “There was no real damage this time around – not like last time,” said Mr Hill, aged 73.

Staff have been forced to work around the clock since the thefts to try and meet customer demand for the hanging baskets.

“We do not take pre-orders on the baskets because they are so popular,” said Mr Hill. The offenders are believed to have struck between 6pm on Saturday and 9am Sunday.