AS if the weather was not destructive enough, the final insult was delivered by a seagull.

The glasshouses of the Chestnut Nursery in Poole came off badly in the storms with panes shattered in two of the structures.

“That’s aside from the seagull who dropped a big stone and left a big hole,” said Angela Mansbridge, supervisor of the nursery in Kingland Road. “We were in there at the time and saw it.”

The Sheltered Work Opportunities Project plant nursery, which provides employment for adults with mental health problems, is appealing for help.

“We have replaced as many of the lower panes as we can but it is too dangerous for our guys to do the ones higher up,” said Angela.

She said there were two or three panes broken in the bigger greenhouse and three or four in the smaller one.

“We are hoping a glazing company might volunteer to help us or someone might raise the money to get a specialist to do it,” she said.

“It was too dangerous to go in there during the storms,” she said. “It’s not ideal to have a shop in a greenhouse.”

The charity is fundraising for its new shop and is about to submit a planning application to Borough of Poole for a new structure and plant areas.

It is not fully costed but they are expecting to have to raise around £100,000 through charitable and lottery grants and donations.

A larger building would help train some of the 49 volunteers recovering from mental health problems in retail work and there would be space to sell related items such as gardening tools.

From March 1 there will be extended opening hours, on Saturday from 9am to 3pm and Sunday 10am to 3pm, and shop helpers are being sought for Sunday. New deliveries of fruit bushes and trees are due next week.

Anyone who can help the Chestnut Nursery can call 01202 685999 or email info@chestnutnursery.org.uk