A woman sobbed as she revealed how cruel vandals broke into her allotment, destroyed the crops she had fed hundreds of people with and salted the Earth.
Carly Burd has been growing her own vegetables since last July and says she has helped to help feed over 1,600 people during the cost of living crisis.
The 43-year-old, who lives with multiple sclerosis and lupus and is on disability benefits, shared her produce with her local community as countless Brits struggled with rocketing food prices.
But on Saturday 8 April, Carly, from Harlow, Essex, revealed how unknown thugs have destroyed her garden completely and ruined her produce.
"I came down on Saturday morning and I just tasted and saw [the salt].
"Five kilograms plus of salt has been poured over my garden. It wasn't a kid grabbing it - it was an adult who knew what they were doing.
"What's heart-wrenching is that those onions were planted by children and they really put their effort in to put something back into the community.
"I felt like I'd been kicked in the face. I have no other explanation for it.
"Who would do that? It's just the most repulsive act I've ever known.
"[There's a huge] amount of people that it's going to affect, it's also affecting nature.
"All of the nature that's in the ground, all the worms, they're all dead. It has a massive impact."
The green-fingered mum-of-three shared the news in a heartbreaking post on social media.
But she is undeterred by the sick vandalism and has promised to continue her good work.
She is instead planning on converting the damaged land into an outdoor space, where the community can enjoy teas, coffees and meals together.
In the meantime, Carly is planning on growing food in a different section of the allotment so that she can still deliver food parcels to those in need.
Carly said: "Going forward, we carry on going. We're moving the other way, and trying to dig up as much as we can to get as much veg in the ground as we can.
"But affecting 300 people - that's a lot of veg in the ground I've just lost.
"On that land, we can't plant at all. Nothing will grow, so we're going to have an outdoor space with a tea and coffee area.
"We're going to invite the community over and have meal nights instead.
"All I can do at the moment is keep cracking on, I can't do anything else."
Carly hit the headlines after she said she “panicked” last summer, amid rising food and petrol prices.
She decided to grow her own food, but quickly saw how she could help others and dug up her flower beds and replaced them with more produce.
She shares her story on social media and says she has fed over 1,300 people with her home grown veg which she puts into care packages.
Carly revealed what had happened in a heartbreaking TikTok and has long been fundraising to help her efforts.
Those interested in helping can click here to donate.
