Valuable fish stolen from Caistor pensioner

The 83-year-old, who did not wish to be named, is now warning other pond owners to be vigilant and not suffer as she has.

“I have had a few sleepless nights I can tell you,” she said.

“I am not a rich person but I try to do something and look after the place, then somebody comes and does that.

“I feel violated to be honest.”

The lady has lived at the property on the outskirts of the town for more than three decades.

“When I came here, the place was a mess,” she said.

“I have put in a lot of hard work - tidying the place, putting in the ponds etc.

“I feel pretty gutted now; it is 35 years up the spout.

“This has now decided me, it is time to go.”

When the ponds were first put in, it was as a fish farm.

Over the years, they became leisure ponds for people staying at her small caravan site and most recently have just been used by a few friends and long-time regulars.

It was when the pensioner went down to the ponds to check them last month she discovered the fish had gone.

“I couldn’t see any movement, so I put in some food - but nothing. I realised they (the fish) had gone,” she said.

“It is very upsetting as I had some lovely mirror carp and crucian carp.

“There were also some tench and rudd - all gone now. I am just left with some very small rudd.”

The previous winter, fish were taken from one of the ponds too and the total value is estimated to run to tens of thousands of pounds.

“They must have put in a trap to get the fish,” she said.

“I want to warn other pond owners to take care and also to tell them to be careful buying fish as they may not have some from legitimate sources.”

If you know anything about the theft call police on 101 and quote reference 17000136517.