Gardener delighted as thief returns giant onion that was growing on top of telephone box

A mystery vegetable thief has been shamed into returning a gardener's giant onion. Gardener Phil McManamon, 51, was close to tears when his onion was stolen from outside his home as he grew it for the village pub giant vegetable contest. Green-fingered Phil posted pictures of his onion on Facebook and spread the word through his village to find the missing vegetable.

And his wife Linda was amazed when the thief knocked on their door - to hand over the prized onion. Phil said: "It was incredible. He said he found it outside and took it for safety. But then someone spotted it in his van and told him: You'd better take that back - half the village is looking for that onion." Phil had put the onion in its pot on the roof of a phone box across the road from his home in Hakin, near Milford Haven, Pembrokeshire, to get more sunshine than his garden.
But he was horrified to return from a trip to the library last Friday to discover the onion and the pot had been pinched. Phil said it was his first year entering the giant onion competition - and he is keen to do his best. He said: "I have three or four onions I'm tying to bring on. But I have problems with my garden not getting enough sun. I've been moving the pots from the front garden to the back garden during the day to make the most of whatever sun we get.

"The phone box is right opposite my house and I could see the top gets a lot of sun. I'd put the onion there for maybe three days when it is calm and sunny. It seemed to have been okay and I was hoping it would do well." He was mystified when it disappeared while he was out at the library. Police were given a crime report by Phil, but the case of the missing onion has now been closed. Phil said: "I'm just glad it is back - I have no idea who took it because he didn't leave his name. But I'm glad he saw the light in the end."