THIEVES have forced the closure of one of the island’s most popular hedge veg stalls. Paul Girard, who owns the cart at Vazon, claims his profits have halved by people stealing stock.

Eight months ago, the stall close to the Vazon Bay Hotel made more than £800 a week. That figure is now as low as £400.

‘These thieves have robbed me of my livelihood and enough is enough,’ he said.

‘I’ve put up with it for as long as I can but I just can’t afford to deal with it any longer.’

The 45-year-old, who with his father also grows and sells potatoes to chip shops, bought the stall from a friend 18 months ago. But profits from it began to plummet at the beginning of July.

‘One week, I only made £46 in seven days – that was after I’d paid my suppliers. But I can’t possibly afford to live on that.’

Mr Girard put CCTV cameras up in a bid to deter the thieves, but vandals smashed them.

‘I installed the cameras to try and catch the thieves and people who didn’t put the correct amount of money in the honesty box, so I have just had to try and operate without them.

‘I think it’s kids that smashed the cameras, but they’re not the ones stealing my produce.’

Mr Girard has received calls from a number of his regular customers who are upset he is being forced to shut.

‘It’s a shame for the people who are honest.

‘It’s the selfish theft, that others are committing such dishonesty that’s spoiling it for everyone else.

‘My mate caught a woman taking produce and not paying for it the other day.

‘We reported it to the police but I haven’t heard anything – and there is nothing we can do if we don’t have evidence.’

Mr Girard said he was not the only one to suffer at the hands of criminals.

‘There are others who are suffering the same fate. I have a friend who had a stall at Portinfer who had to close his too.

‘It used to be that holidaymakers would come over and were shocked at how honest Guernsey people were – but not any more.

‘I think it’s a big problem over here now and you just can’t trust anyone. It’s a great shame for my suppliers, especially as most of the produce is local.

‘I just can’t carry on losing out on so much money – it has become a charity stall, not a business.’