THE owner of a roadside farm shop which has been continually targeted by disappearing produce, has come up with an old fashioned form of justice - medieval stocks, complete with a dummy.

Lynne Chellow from Devichoys Farm near Mylor installed CCTV at her stall after items started disappearing without being paid for. After the CCTV was installed it captured two different people on two different occasions allegedly pilfering things from the store.

After an appeal was put out on Facebook she was given the names of the alleged culprits and built stocks out of pallets at the entrance to the farm itself. They have pinned the CCTV images to the stocks with the names they had been given after the public appeal.

Read next:

They have pinned the CCTV images to the stocks with the names of those they accuse of taking goods written on wooden plaques underneath.

The stocks have been attracting a lot of interest

The 'stocks' have been attracting a lot of interest

One of those caught on CCTV, Lynne says, has already been given a Community Resolution Order by police and been ordered to pay £8 for the £7.95 worth of goods she is alleged to have taken.

Writing on the farm's Facebook page Lynne said: "We have added a little something near our stalls, to send the message that we will name and shame anyone that steals from our stalls.

"We can also reveal the name of the women seen in the video taking flowers and marmalade and only leaving 5pence. Her name is ******* ****** (removed until confirmed by police) and lives in Falmouth. She has today been given a Community Resolution Order by the police and paid £8 to the police, for the the goods she stole which was £7.95. Worth it was it?

"Thank you to all for your help in this, and the messages you have sent."

She added: "Our stocks of shame are getting quiet a bit of attention and giving enjoyment, to those that visit our stalls and those driving past, we see many cars going past then stop, reverse, and look like they can't quiet believe what they are seeing."

The stocks were made out of pallets and scaffolding boards while the mannequin was ordered online.

"It's not just the thefts," Lynne told the Packet. It's the time it takes to set up the camera, get the cards download the images and then phone the police, get updates then have to wait an hour on the phone to the police again.

"Theft is theft," she said. "I was always brought up you were arrested and go down the prison route, so we decided were going to put up stocks." 

Lynne and her sister set up the stall during the first lockdown to help people out after they grew too much produce for themselves.

After posting a video on Facebook, where it has been viewed over 7,000 times, Lynne Chellow from Devichoys Farm near Mylor Bridge says the messages of support have persuaded her to keep going.

Mrs Chellow, who set up the stalls with her sister Sally at the entrance to their farm on the Carclew Road

First of all they sold veg and eggs and then it evolved with her sister-in-law making jams and chutneys and then members of family making things including her 85-year old aunt who made face masks and her husband's father turning wood.