Thieves uproot slug-eating plant

As gardeners prepare for another weekend tending to their lawns and plants, an answer to one of their biggest problems has disappeared without trace.

A plant called the Hybrid, which is said to attract and eat slugs, was about to be released on the market. However, the plant, a form of the sarracenia, has been stolen. It had been engineered at a Dutch laboratory and was lent to leading Austrian market gardener Erich Preymann.

The plant was kept under tight security and Mr Preymann had even signed a contract stating he would be liable should the plant be damaged or stolen.

Baffled at how the thieves struck, Mr Preymann said: "I still hope this was a prank and the plant will be returned soon. But I fear professionals are at work here because they sidestepped the alarm."