Thieves have stolen 3 wooden park benches from the Hallerbos forest in the Flemish Brabant town of Halle. One of the benches that was taken weighs more than 200 kilogrammes. The Flemish Nature and Woodland Agency says that whoever took the benches must have been well-prepared.
Forester Thomas Boonen told VRT News that “The benches had been in Hallerbos since April”.
"These are solid wood benches that are about 3 metres long and weigh 200 kilos. They are not something you can just carry away with you.”
Well-prepared
Thomas Boonen presumes that the thieves were well-prepared. “You can't just load benches like these into a car, especially not three of them at once. Furthermore, they were located next a road that is closed to traffic. Whoever took them was well prepared and used a sturdy vehicle to transport them.
It is not entirely clear when the benches were stolen. The theft was first noticed after the long Belgian National Holiday weekend. “It is still a mystery to us when the disappeared and whether all three were taken at once. There are CCTV cameras on the Nijvelsesteenweg, but as we do not know the exact date of the theft, it is difficult to view all the footage. Anyone that saw anything suspicious is requested to come forward.”