A Wheathampstead allotment holder is set to walk away from his plot of over 20 years after a "cowardly" break-in that saw one of his chickens killed and left in a box for him to find.

Tracey Folds said he's been left 'disheartened' by the incident, which occurred at the Hitchens field allotments on June 6.

According to Tracey, break-ins and vandalism have been an "intermittent problem", over the last two decades, but this incident was "particularly horrendous" and has dulled his passion for the allotments.

Speaking to the Herts Ad, he recalls: "I woke up in the morning and saw a post on Facebook about chickens running around the allotments. We rushed down there and found chaos."

The 61-year-old says that he found chickens running around everywhere and fences vandalised. 

One of his chickens was missing, only for him to later find the animal dead inside a box, which he suspects was cruelly hidden for him to find, an act he describes as a "particularly cowardly act."

A spokesperson for Herts police has confirmed that a number of chickens were reported as stolen after an enclosure fence was broken and that a child's bike was also stolen from a wooden shed.

Tracey spent 23 years working for the fire service as a watch manager, before going on to work for Catch22, a charity aimed at breaking down barriers for young people in education

Following the incident, the once passionate plot holder says he's lost his love for the place and barely visits the allotment, other than to feed the chickens.

This particularly stings as having recently taken early retirement, the allotment took on added importance to him.

The lifelong Wheathampstead resident added that his partner no longer feels safe there by herself.

He expressed his fury that Wheathampstead Parish Council, which manages the allotments, have not taken steps to prevent further break ins, citing budgetary reasons.

"It's far more than just an allotment, it's a community," he said.

"But it no longer feels that way and I've been made to feel like our passion doesn't matter."

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At the end of this year, the couple plan to walk away from the allotments entirely.

Police have confirmed that two children were arrested in connection with the break-in but were released with no further action, and the investigation has concluded.

Tracey says he believes this is because they were both under the legal age of criminal responsibility, but has been left feeling "disheartened" at the lack of justice.

Wheathampstead Parish Council declined to comment when approached.