GRIEVING owners of a new business have been left gobsmacked after thieves wiped out their family firm.
Just days after losing her mum to a brain tumour, Kim Fordwoh discovered burglars had helped themselves to £7,000 of uninsured stock from her Green Light Horticulture company in Quedgeley.
Kim had even left a sign on the door explaining they were not open as usual because of the bereavement.
Her mum Claire Price, 70, died at home in France on Tuesday last week.
Kim runs the business with her husband Chris and brother Dan Adams and said: "We are gobsmacked. We are so shocked. They kicked the doors in and cleared us out. We only opened in November and we have not taken a wage. We have worked like little troopers to get the business off the ground."
The family are still coping with the death of Claire, a former head of English at Tewkesbury Comprehensive School, for more than three decades. She died at her home in France, where she lived with Mike, her husband of 40 years.
Kim said: "We can't believe they have done this. It's so heartless because we even had a notice on the door to say mum had died.
"I just hope whoever did it gets caught."
The family will pay their final respects to Claire at her funeral in Brittany on Thursday.
"She was a star and very popular," said Kim. "She was well loved by so many people. We're going to miss her."
Police are looking over CCTV footage for clues but they are appealing for any information. The incident happened sometime between 1pm on Saturday and 7.30am on Monday. No arrests have been made yet. Anyone with information should call police on 101 with incident number 40 of March 4.
