Scots tycoon offers £500 reward after Simon Cowell scarecrow is nabbed

ALAN LOVE put the scarecrow in his garden for an annual charity competition but his four-year-old daughter Mia was left in tears when thieves nicked the head.

The Simon Cowell scarecrow

A MILLIONAIRE is offering a £500 reward to catch thieves who stole the head from his Simon Cowell scarecrow.

Alan Love put the scarecrow in his garden for an annual charity competition in his town.

But his four-year-old daughter Mia was left in tears when thieves nicked the head.

Alan, of Bothwell, Lanarkshire, said: “Mia goes out with her mum to the garden every morning and every evening to check that the Simon Cowell scarecrow is OK.

“When we came home and discovered it was gone, Mia was really upset. She was in tears and everything. I’m not happy.”

Hundreds of local people make figures for the three-day Bothwell Scarecrow Festival and the event raises cash for Yorkhill children’s hospital in Glasgow.

Alan has been scouring CCTV footage in a bid to catch the thieves who stole X Factor chief Cowell’s head. He has even printed “wanted” posters asking for help to nail the yobs.

And as well as the £500 reward for catching the culprits, the tycoon says he will donate another £500 to charity if the £25 mask is returned safely.

Alan, 43, added: “The whole idea of the scareceows is for a bit of fun for the kids and to raise money for charity.”

Police are looking into the theft, which happened last Wednesday.

The scarecrow festival was started last year and featured more than 300 homemade figures.

Last year, a 91-year-old woman was in left in tears after her scarecrow was stolen from her garden.

Alan, who drives a Rolls-Royce, made a fortune when his Homestyle Kitchens and Bedrooms firm were sold to Morris Furniture in 2006

(Reproduced from The Daily Record, 5th Sept)

Gardien Comment: Restricting access to the garden is the first part of the solution here. See the advice and products available at www.garden-security.co.uk. Beyond that, a good CCTV system with audible warning will normally scare off unwanted visitors (new product coming soon).