A grandmother has thanked a supermarket for giving her four garden gnomes to start a new collection after thieves stole 20 of the ornaments from her garden.

Rosemary Wimble had been collecting the gnomes for the last five years.

The 72-year-old received them as gifts for Mother’s Day, Christmas and her birthday from her children and five grandchildren.

About 20 of the figures were stolen from the front garden of her home in Cleveland Road, Gillingham, overnight on June 12.

Most of them had been bought from Asda and when supermarket staff heard what happened they gave Mrs Wimble four new ones to start another collection.

Her granddaughters, Jessica, 22, and Caitlyn, 18, said they were taking her out to lunch and took her to Asda at Gillingham Pier.

Mrs Wimble said: “There was a man there who said they had heard what had happened.

“They gave me four gnomes. I couldn’t believe it. I don’t think I took it in until I got home.

“I want to say a big thank-you to Asda. They didn’t have to do that.”

"They've all got sentimental value...I just want them returned" - Rosemary Wimble

Mrs Wimble started the collection when her grandchildren were at school.

She said: “They’ve all got sentimental value. I just want them returned.”

Two of the gnomes were a bride and groom Mrs Wimble bought the week before they were stolen.

She said: “I had them in the front of the trolley and was putting food in the back. Everyone was smiling at them.

“Someone asked me what I was doing and I said, ‘They’ve just got married – I’m getting food for the reception’.”

Mrs Wimble still has six of the gnomes, as they were at the side of the house and the thieves had been in the front garden.

“If someone had knocked on the door and said they liked them I would have given them to them,” she said.

“They’re not just for me. They’re for the pleasure of others as well.”