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Talkback: Gardening theft

Gardeners' World Web UserGardeners' World Web User Posts: 17,147
in Talkback
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.
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  • Gardeners' World Web UserGardeners' World Web User Posts: 17,147
    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 UserGardeners' World Web User Posts: 17,147
    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 UserGardeners' World Web User Posts: 17,147
    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 UserGardeners' World Web User Posts: 17,147
    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 UserGardeners' World Web User Posts: 17,147
    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 UserGardeners' World Web User Posts: 17,147
    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 UserGardeners' World Web User Posts: 17,147
    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 UserGardeners' World Web User Posts: 17,147
    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 UserGardeners' World Web User Posts: 17,147
    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 UserGardeners' World Web User Posts: 17,147
    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.
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