Harold devastated as chickens and ducks taken
A great-grandfather has been left devastated after thieves broke into a pen in his rear garden and stole 14 of his cherished chickens and three ducks.
Harold Fletcher, aged 89, woke to feed his breed of Warren chickens and Khaki Campbell ducks early yesterday morning only to find his collection had gone.
It is the latest heartache for Mr Fletcher, whose 69-year-old younger brother Mervyn was killed in 2004 after being attacked outside his New Invention home in a street robbery. George Nwabuko is currently serving a life sentence for robbery and murder.
The brothers ran family business HE Fletcher Locks, based in New Invention for decades. Mr Fletcher, who served in the RAF during the war, has been breeding the hybrid birds for 35 years since he retired when he was 55. He lives with his 85-year-old wife Marjorie in New Invention and gets up at 7.30am every morning to feed his birds but was stunned to see just three left.
"I went to feed them yesterday morning and I could see straight away that someone had broken into the pen," he said. "It has taken me years to build up the collection and I have spent so much time and effort rearing them.
"To have them stolen from me is just heartbreaking. They are worth a few hundred pounds but it is not the money."
Police have been informed of the theft and people who may have information can ring Bloxwich police on 0845 1135000.
* Could you help Harold replace his ducks? Please call our newsdesk on 01902 319412.
