A pensioner who has spent his life “working the soil” is hanging up his tools after arsonists torched his shed.

Norman Hadaway has called time on his labour of love and is giving up his prized allotment in Goudhurst.

The 81-year-old said: “I’m not going to continue. It would mean buying a new shed, new tools, new everything.

“Just the ironwork on the fork and spade was left. Everything else was just ash. It was a shock to the system.”

Mr Hadaway’s career was spent working with hops on Cambourne Farm in the village.

He took on the allotment in Rope Walk 18 years ago, where he said he had grown practically all the vegetables under the sun.

As he sifted through the charred ruins of his shed, he found no sign of the hoe he had used for at least 50 years.

“It’s sad really,” said Mr Hadaway, who lives in Culpepper Mews with wife of 55 years, Joan.

“I used to work with it, it used to be my living.”

While Mr Hadaway said he had been considering calling it a day on his allotment, which overlooks Kent’s pristine countryside, this attack had made up his mind.

“I think we’re going to miss it terribly,” he added.

Two fire engines from Hawkhurst and Cranbrook were called to the scene in Rope Walk at 12.05am on Saturday.

They tackled the blaze, but were unable to save it and the shed was destroyed.

Police were called and are treating the incident as arson.

Mr Hadaway said: “I don’t know whether they (arsonists) realised what they had done.

“If they got any pleasure out of it, then what? It was nothing to them. I feel sad for them really to want to do something like that to somebody’s livelihood.”