Little Olive community library in Costessey raided

Zara Harper started the Little Olive Library during the 2020 lockdown after she cleared out her book collection and placed them in a refurbished animal hutch just off her front garden in Olive Road in Costessey.

After people started donating their own books, she created The Little Windmill library in a second location in the area. 

Zara Harper started running the Little Olive library during lockdown (Image: Zara Harper)

Ms Harper said she checks on both libraries daily, tidying them up and restocking the collections of around 50 adult books and 30 children's books.

"When I looked on Tuesday morning, I saw the Little Olive was basically empty.

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"Luckily we do have CCTV and after scanning it back, we realised it wasn't just an overzealous reader that had cleared the books out."

She described seeing a man approaching the library with "two big rucksacks and a box of some description" which he filled with books.

The library sits at the end of her front garden (Image: Zara Harper)

"He then had a wander around my front garden before loading himself up and taking off." 

She later found the box discarded in a bush further down the road "looking like they were hidden to collect later on".

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Ms Harper admitted she had not reported the incident to the police but said she was upset and confused about why somebody would do this to her good-spirited venture.

"I have no idea why anyone would steal a bunch of second-hand books - they virtually have no resale value.

She captured the suspect on CCTV (Image: Zara Harper)

"The whole thing is bizarre but he had planned it - he brought a box.

"It has made me feel really angry and quite uneasy to think that someone was violating my property and safe space while I was asleep only metres away."