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Gardening theft
My first allotment was robbed in winter. Nothing expensive was taken (there wasn't anything expensive to take), but my plastic, walk-in greenhouse vanished overnight...
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Gardeners' World Web User
04/02/2011 at 13:03
I, too, have experience of thieves "doing" a whole road of gardens,garages,and sheds in a night. They took a new strimmer from my garage "box as well as it was still in it" and lifted the whole window frame out, breaking the glass, to get it so the curtain idea is good. I asked my insurance co. if they would pay to have the window bricked up instead of replacing the window and they did. I've also been robbed when I was up the garden so I lock the kitchen door now when I am gardening.
Gardeners' World Web User
04/02/2011 at 13:42
I would appreciate some pointers on how to deter these people from allotment sites. Like many other people, I live a fair distance from my plot so I'm not sure there's anything I can do to stop them. However, I don't have room at home for all my tools etc so I guess I'll just have to take my chances. Perhaps I should advertise the fact that my plot neighbour is actually the local bobby!!
Gardeners' World Web User
04/02/2011 at 14:03
Interesting blog, Kate, if a little one-sided. As a confirmed, life-long gardening tea leaf, I have frequently been the victim of anti-crim prejudice. We felons put a lot of effort into gardening theft, and because we must, inevitably, ply our trade by night, we don't get to spend as much quality time with our families as we might. I must admit, I permitted myself a chuckle at your 'security' advice - we won't be deterred by some mimsy curtain, you know. All the best, Tubby Trinder
Gardeners' World Web User
04/02/2011 at 14:41
i had my shed broken into my edge cutters , solar lights were pinched but he got caught so i was pleased . didn,t get my stuff back but at leased thet caught him so happy ending
Gardeners' World Web User
04/02/2011 at 16:37
My mother had a beautiful Japanese maple stolen about ten years ago. She had had it about 15 years, and had looked after it really carefully. She was devastated.
Gardeners' World Web User
04/02/2011 at 22:38
You might take a page from farmers over on this side of the farm. Try an infrared game camera, pointed along a path thieves would need to use to get into your stuff. They normally run about $100US, so not terribly expensive and at least that way you have a picture of the culprits for the police. A more expensive motion sensing camera can have the added bonus of having an audio alert - so you can call the cops and catch the thief...
Gardeners' World Web User
05/02/2011 at 19:29
last year i had a very large old mushroom [the barn mushrooms] stolen from outside my cottage,god knows how they managed to carry it but they did...and do you know the horrid idiots just smashed it up the lane where i live....i to was and still am very very upset about it,it was so old and lovely i have since replaced it with another old one but this time its very well secured [but its not the same] and they trod all over my plants...[b......s].
Gardeners' World Web User
06/02/2011 at 12:51
I live in a city and our allotment committee has been slowly replacing the decaying chain link fence with 8ft high fencing. Our local councilor is supportive of this and we raise the funds partly by fund rasing and partly by lobbying the council.
Gardeners' World Web User
06/02/2011 at 12:53
If you've been the victim of theft you can list your stolen items on www.itsbeennicked.co.uk A photo or two helps if you have them.
Gardeners' World Web User
08/02/2011 at 12:11
Some years ago, I did a photoshoot for a lock company. They said 1) 'link and lock' ie: use cables to join things together, 2) Hi Viz: use coloured padlocks and place them where they can be seen 3) Light & Sound: use electronic alarms and lights that are tripped by sound and movement. The explanation was that these things all give cues to burglars that the job's going to take a bit longer and be a bit more visible. Likely they'll find an easier target. I've followed this advice ever since and it seems to have worked - finger's crossed.
Gardeners' World Web User
08/02/2011 at 21:34
Sadly the allotments where i live [along the river tyne] get broken into very regular from kids to opportunists, having been broken into 5 times in the last 2 years i thought why should i keep buying padlocks that they just snap off and then trash my shed [which is a big shed and gets used by all the community]so i thought ive had enough of not doing anything and used a plank of wood the same width as the door and about 9 inches wide and hammered a boat load of nails into it [all the way through] then turned it over and nailed it to the floor just at the door so when they turn up next time IN THE DARK they will get a nice surprise in there feet as they step into the shed to see what they can damage in there, but this time theyll find its there feet theyll damage :) My door is always padlocked so if they do get in then i am not held responsible as they have used unreasonable force to obtain entry into it.
Gardeners' World Web User
08/02/2011 at 21:51
we have a lot of theaft from allotments in Surrey and they trample all over cropsdestroying everything in site, the police do nothing about it and the council won't make them more secure,as we all know if they want to get in they will, really sad what this country has come to.
Gardeners' World Web User
09/02/2011 at 13:01
I was in a book shop recently and saw an RHS journal for Allotments so I bought one. In the back there is a list of useful numbers and one of them is for the NSALG, The National Society of Allotment and Leisure Gardeners. They advertise insurance from Bluefin designed for allotments. I am giving it some serious thought because I have had things taken and although it hasn't cost me alot so far I can imagine it will. Like one of the other writers said it is an extension of the house and feels more important to me than the house so it only feels right to protect it.
Gardeners' World Web User
09/02/2011 at 20:35
I always kept my allotment shed padlocked but after the thired time it was smashed off the door was damaged badly and after patching it up again I decided not to lock it up.Insted of having a nice tidy shed I leave it messy with empty sacks and old nets ect at the entrance and hide any good stuff at the rear under more tat. This has been the best deterrent so far,The other sheds on the site all had things taken but my tools were all there.In the gloom the thievs couldn't find my good spade folk ect.It is a good half hours brisk walk to my site so I have to leave my tools.If I had a car I would only use the shed to shelter in when it rains.To be robbed time and time again is soul destroying.
Gardeners' World Web User
09/02/2011 at 22:58
Somebody has stolen my favourite garden programme and let monty back to spoil it again. If any one knows what has happened to Toby and Alys then can we please have them put back where they belong.
Gardeners' World Web User
11/02/2011 at 18:09
I have just discovered that my eggs were being stolen from my hen house! After three weeks of getting no eggs at all from my 13 hens (which has never happened before, even through the snow etc) I found that one of the fence posts was broken in the run (like someone had tried to climb over). I decided to get a lock for the nest box door and surprise surprise...eggs every day! whats worse is that our allotment has a six foot security fence with a padlocked gate...meaning it was a fellow allotmenteer who has been theiving from me...not a nice feeling at all :o(
Gardeners' World Web User
12/02/2011 at 07:56
Although rain and tears are alike in your quote it is not always the case. Tears can also fall because of happiness and joy. Thanks
Gardeners' World Web User
12/02/2011 at 10:04
My allotment continues to be the victim of theft. I have had all my sheds broken into several times. The culprits seem to return on the search for metal of any kind and even steel the taps to our water supply. The last time they broke the doors but only stole 3 items from the tool collection and the wheel barrow and left the rest.
Gardeners' World Web User
13/02/2011 at 16:17
I inherited a couple of metal "barrels" when I moved house. They were about 3ft tall and the previous owner obviously grew the odd plant in them (not well looked after but it was winter after all) and she obviously decided they were too heavy to carry/move so left them there. It was only on New Years Eve when a few people had come over and were using the back garden as the designated smoking area that I realised there was a HUGE mound of soil piled up in the middle of my garden path. The next morning in daylight I realised just where they'd come from, the metal barrels had vanished and their contents strewn over the path. I hope they made a few pence on selling it as scrap, but I am plastic planters all the way from now on in the unsecured garden.
Gardeners' World Web User
28/11/2011 at 18:43
I live in an old terraced house with a locked/bolted 6ft back gate and fence with spikes on it but my front garden is very small & is just slabbed over. I've had several nicely planted up pots nicked from this garden; pots picked up & then just dropped breaking them & spilling the contents over the slabs, road & path to the front door. I've had empty cans thrown into my front garden along with polystyrene burger boxes, empty cigarette & crisp packets & newspaper strewn about. I have reported losses to the police only to discover that other (semi or detached) houses in my road have had their back gardens raided with expensive garden furniture, large expensive to replace potted plants etc stolen so I guess I should consider myself lucky that these thieves can't get into my back garden too.
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