Thieves have been targeting a charity that was set up in the memory of a stolen horse.

Hay bales worth £200 were stolen from Cecil’s Horse Sanctuary on Friday night.

The sanctuary was registered as a charity last year and started holding open days for children in July, but has suffered problems from criminals ever since.

Previous incidents include the padlock on the main entrance to the site on Elstree Hill, Borehamwood and the mesh fencing being broken next to the main road.

Sanctuary founder Julie Blake said: “The horses were eating the grass but the road, but how one of them did not go out onto the road and killed I will never know.

“We have had loads of problems. It’s been a nightmare, but we don’t know if anyone specifically is doing this.”

Mrs Blake has been rescuing horses for 15 years, and named a foal Cecil in honour of her father who had recently died, but the four-week-old Shetland pony was stolen from her.

Currently there are 40 horses cared for by the 57-year-old cleaner and a team of volunteers, but the organisation is making a loss and desperately relies on donations to survive.

Mrs Blake added: “The money we have coming in to the sanctuary we work for. I go to work and any money I have goes to the horses.

I am not rich, I do not have corporate sponsors I am just the girl next door, so all they are doing is taking away from someone who does not have a penny to their name.

“We are always running at a loss here and to pay for the replacement hay bales I had to use my rent money.”

Hertfordshire Constabulary have been contacted for comment.

For more information to support the sanctuary visit https://www.cecilshorsesanctuary.org/.