A little girl had her fourth birthday party ruined after two balaclava-clad teenagers destroyed a wooden stall she uses to sell eggs from outside her home.
Maisie Willis would regularly sell eggs from her chickens to passersby on her street in Holbury, near Southampton.
But she was left heartbroken after two thugs wearing balaclavas entered her garden while she was celebrating and stole the wooden stand, which was still full of eggs.
The stand was found smashed into pieces on a nearby road, with the eggs thrown all over the street.
Maisie’s mother, Chelsea Willis, revealed that she tracked down the teenagers who have since apologised.
Mrs Willis, 28, said: ‘She has been collecting all the eggs, boxing them up, and selling them from a wooden stand in our front driveway.
‘During the party one of her customers knocked on the door. They said two lads had stolen the stand, smashed it, and thrown the eggs all over the road.’
Maisie Willis had her birthday party ruined after two balaclava-clad teenagers destroyed a wooden stall she uses to sell eggs from outside her home. Pictured: Maisie stood in front of her stand
Maisie would regularly sell eggs from her chickens to passersby on her street in Holbury, near Southampton
Maisie was left heartbroken after two teenage bots wearing balaclavas entered her garden and took off with the wooden stand (pictured)
The stand was found smashed into pieces on a nearby road, with the eggs thrown all over the street
Mrs Willis added that after the incident, Maisie’s main concern was how she was going to continue selling eggs.
She continued: ‘Maisie kept asking how she’s going to sell her eggs. We’ve put a basket on the doorstep to keep her going.
‘She works really hard and doesn’t even keep the money for herself – it goes into looking after the chickens.
‘I can’t understand why two boys would want to destroy everything she has worked for.’
Mrs Willis’ husband Tony, 38, was barbecuing for the party when his sister-in-law told him that the egg stand had been stolen,
He said: ‘I thought she was winding me up, but a neighbour saw two boys carrying it down an alleyway and came round to tell us.’
Posting online, the family added: ‘Two horrible boys smashed it apart and threw her eggs all across the road.
Maisie standing in her chicken coop collecting the eggs she would go on to sell
The stand was destroyed by the thugs for a completely unknown reason
The incident was reported to the police
‘They have been made to apologise but it doesn’t make up for how upset she is.
‘We were having her birthday party and these boys ruined it.’
They also thanked sympathetic neighbours who gave Maisie extra birthday presents including cards and cash, saying ‘it means so much to her to have so many people care’.
The incident was reported to the police, with a spokesperson saying: ‘It’s reported that two youths damaged an egg stand, belonging to a child. The incident remains under investigation.’
