A VARIETY of one of the rarest orchids grown in Britain has been stolen from a conservation area in Wirral. More than 12 Southern Marsh Orchids were taken in the raid - a crime which carries a maximum fine of £5,000 or a penalty of six months in prison.
The precious flowers are not available for sale anywhere in the country, and wildlife experts last night suspected they were stolen to be sold on the black market.
Dr Hilary Ash, 49, a botanist for Wirral Wildlife Trust, said: "Last week I went to the field to see the flowers where I could see perfect little plots of land had been dug up and the flowers had gone.
"These orchids were the first blooms of the season and you could see that someone had carefully used a trowel to pluck them from the ground.
"They could have been taken to be sold on the black market because it is impossible to buy these flowers legally. There is no way of knowing what they might be worth."
Due to the special nature of the Southern Marsh Orchid, it only grows under certain conditions.
The precious plants were taken from a field near Clatterbridge, Wirral, which is part of a nature conservation set within a private estate.
Merseyside Police Wildlife Crime Officer PC Andy McWilliams said: "With plants like orchids which are terrifically endangered, there is always the chance this will happen.
"In many cases, it is ignorance. "People do not realise what the consequences of their actions are and they have just taken the flowers for their own gardens.
"But it is possible that the rare plants can be sold on.
"This crime also has the possibility of affecting the biological balance of the countryside."
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