An animal sanctuary that has struggled with noise complaints and planning scandals has now become victim to a number of break-ins and attempted robberies.

Happy Pants Ranch in Iwade Lane, Bobbing near Sittingbourne, has become a target for thieves in the area, with one criminal attempting to steal the charity's van.

Amey James from the Happy Pants Ranch talking about the break-ins

Amey James and her partner, Phil Greenhalgh, 33, run the 20-acres of land to care for abandoned and unwanted animals.

However, she has been left "paranoid" by the incidents which began in September.

The 36-year-old said: "It's made us totally paranoid.

"On Thursday, January 20, Phil was in his workshop and he heard somebody shout 'quick run'.

"As he came out of his container, he saw some people running towards the front gate, he called the police and they came out with sniffer dogs.

"They found a guy hiding in the next door neighbour's." According to Amey he got arrested because he was carrying a screwdriver, a hammer and a crowbar.

However, Amey said this isn't the only incident the charity have faced.

Just five nights before, on Saturday January 15, Amey returned from a night-out with the charity's volunteers to find one of the site's storage containers ransacked.

Amey said: "The crew room had been targeted and I had forgotten about the charity tub in there.

"It contained about £40 in notes, that was taken, and all the doors on the cupboards were left open along with the drawers, it was very unnerving."

Last year, on Friday September 10, someone also attempted to steal the charity's transit van.

Amey said: "Phil was asleep and heard the engine start, somebody basically tried to drive off the site with with the van.

"Luckily Phil ran out and as he tried to get into the driver's door to stop this guy stealing the van, it ended up crashing into a tree by the gates, Phil cut his leg quite badly, and then the man ran off."

A police spokesman said the investigation has since been left on file, following completion of officer's inquiries, but would be reopened if any further information come to light.

Although the pair are saddened by the attempted break-ins and the charity cash being stolen, their main concern is their animals.

Amey added: "Apart from larger equipment everything else in our containers are things like duvets, newspapers and other things that people have donated to the sanctuary. There's not much for them to steal.

"But obviously our main concern is that they're not affecting the animals, because if they were to ever start breaking into the animals or anything like that, then obviously that will be a completely different story."

Due to the incidents happening on the ranch Phil has been prescribed sleeping tablets to stop his anxiety keeping him up at night.

The couple have continued to see torchlights and people sitting in cars by their property during early morning hours.