A pub from which an imported heater, purchased as part of their reopening, was stolen has praised the Upton community after they raised thousands towards a replacement.

The Crown Inn in Upton saw a heater, imported from the Netherlands for its bespoke outdoor pods, stolen just before it was due to be installed in their outdoor area. At the time, the pub said that the theft ‘tainted’ their reopening.

However, residents have rallied round the pub and raised over £2000 towards purchasing a replacement, with well-wishers leaving many messages of support.

Sharon, the pub’s marketing manager, told the Advertiser that the fundraiser was “really good news” for The Crown.

The heater is believed to have been stolen from outside The Crown on April 12, with the team at the pub discovering the theft on April 14. They reported the crime to police, who have said that they “have looked into all lines of enquiry available” at this time.

They have appealed for anyone with information to come forward.

Following news on the theft, residents of Upton and further afield launched a fundraiser to replace the stolen heater, with an initial target of £1500. Felicity Davis launched the drive on April 15, with thousands being raised that day alone.

The fundraising soon passed the £1500 target, and now stands at £2,110 at the time of writing.

Felicity said: “I never imagined we would hit the target but it goes to show how community means everything. Thank you to everyone who has donated so far. Just phenomenal.”

The Crown only found out about it while looking online, and thanked everyone who donated.

Sharon said: “It’s brilliant! I stumbled across it, to be quite honest, on Facebook. We had no idea that it was occurring and I just thought: ‘oh my word, that’s really good news’.

“We didn’t expect it and we’re as speechless about the fundraising as we are with it [the heater] going. We certainly feel much more positive now.”

The fundraiser is still open, and can be found by heading to: https://www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/thecrowninnupton