Wanderers

[Motherwoman]

I don't leave decent power equipment in my allotment shed anymore, it's too risky. And we now go to ridiculous lengths at home chaining equipment and double padlocking doors and gates since my other half lost about £2k's worth of work equipment a couple of years ago. Just got to get to a point where they find it too difficult/noisy/time consuming to steal from you.

MW

[Weed]

We suffer from 'Wanderers' too....we have another name for them but that needs to be typed after the nine o'clock watershed. They take a shortcut through the site and often take things on the way...like you we believe we have our own 'home-grown' tealeaf on site as well
We have a friendly PCSO who comes around he has sourced for us an Alarm lock....unfortunately the packet doesn't give a company name on it but it has a black rubberised cover, the locking arch takes completely off when the key is turned... to arm turn the locking arch around so that the contacts are reversed and lock...there is a beep and its armed.
If you try to tamper with it beeps for 5 secs then emits a 110dba piercing sound...if I was a thief I would be off like a shot. The sound will keep sounding with constant movement or vibration... once stopped it will reset after 35secs

Allegedly the locks retail around £15.00 but through the Police we got ours for £8.50 each.... at least fifty have been bought by plot-holders to date

I hope that this is of some help

[robo]

Vermin have been around the allotment again broke into about 8 sheds dont think they got anything as everone has removed anything thats worth taking ,seems they got to my plot last they broke into a small lockup i have built that i keep a bit of creosote in then they pulled off a plastic cover i have over the alarm lock on my main shed prior to trying to force the lock this set off the alarm they must have fled as they dropped a hammer they were using and the batteries in the lock where shot when i found it next morning ,so my alarm padlock worked, the hammer came from one of the sheds left unlocked which really winds me up as you can not get through to some people they are using tools from unlocked sheds to break into locked ones but they still leave sheds unlocked, we have put a second lock on both entrance gates painted the top 2 feet of the 8 feet high perimeter fence with antivandal paint and they are still getting in ,this is the 5th time in 2 months, ive just orderd a dummy camera with a flashing red light built in it as well as a shed alarm i am going to put a sign on my shed saying "smile you are on camera " see if it works

[Motherwoman]

Must be the pre-Christmas free for all. We belong to the local countryside watch that the rural beat officers organise. They give us signs which say you are being watched and in our case now...they are. We bought a stealth cam and tuck it high up on one of the sheds at home, run it on re-chargeable batteries.We have picked up one guy wandering around and looking in our barn, his picture went to the beat officer. Also picked up a rambler who seemed to think they could wander into our garden! The officers always tell people to lock up sheds and outhouses at Christmas as they will nick anything to either make money or to eat by raiding freezers.

Pleased your sound alarm padlock worked.

MW

[robo]

Hi motherwoman, ive been looking at stealth cameras but there seems to be a lot on the market which are not very good quality what make do you have

[Motherwoman]

Hi Robo,

We have Spypoint BF6 from Uttings. It has black flash for night time, cheaper makes have a red light which means they can be seen and damaged by thieves. You'll need to buy a couple of memory cards and a supply of rechargeable batteries. Good quality batteries, such as Duracell AAA (1000 mAh) lasts 4-6 weeks before they need a re-charge.

This gives us good quality pictures even at night. You have to site it carefully as the rising or setting sun will set it clicking pics if it shines directly at it. Make sure you secure it well to the building, don't want it nicked!

MW

[peter]

Three sheds prised open some time during the last week. As far as I can tell, 2 of 3 have come back to me, just a strimmer gone from a shed that slso had a little 4 stroke Honda rotovator in it.

Thieves, putting the Crim in Christmas.

[Cider Boys]

Well, this all makes very sad reading indeed. I thought that it was only me that seemed to be plagued by thoughtless and dishonest citizens. I have had many items stolen from me along with wanton vandalism of machinery. Unfortunately some fellow allotment holders can not be trusted and do steal items from and disrespect your allotment. I do not know what the (legal) answer is, however I will say that the incidences of this nuisance has increased during the last thirty or forty years.

I would suggest that perhaps holding regular meetings of the allotment holders could assist in discussing the problems and what local actions may be introduced to prevent this 'low life' mentality from affecting us all.

Barney

[Primrose]

I'd just be tempted to put up a poster of a man with a shot gun saying "Trespassers will be shot" or saying "How would you like it if I came trampling all over your front garden ??"

[robo]

Up to 4 months ago you could leave anything lying around on our allotment and it would not get touched, the lowlife thats targeting us are definitely not off our allotment we do have regular meetings and most of the plot owners go out of their way to help each other, our problems started after quit a few of the local sheds where broken into they must have got hold of something worth stealing and decided to move onto robbing the sheds on the allotment, the police are not the slightest bit interested and that really annoys me

[Motherwoman]

Hi Robo,

If the police are not interested I think it's time you wrote to the local Chief Constable or local paper. Perhaps entitle it 'Police say theft is acceptable'.

Our local beat officers have taken an interest and they now do include the allotments on their rounds. They also took an interest and proceeded to scare the living daylights out of two young glass smashers who made their way onto the site and were caught by the plot holder and site manager who happened to be on a nearby site. The boys' mother also willingly paid for the broken glass and I think the boys got short shrift when they got home.

MW

[Primrose]

MW. How encouraging for once to hear of parents taking the side of the police In punishing kids for their misbehaviour. Round here we had somebody going round shooting out all the street lights with an air rifle, which cost a fortune to repair and the local council has no spare money to do this. The police had a good idea who it was but couldnt catch him in the act so went round to his home with a representative from the local housing association making dark noises about eviction for anti social behaviour. There were no more street lights shot out! I agree that police apparent indifference should promptly be highlighted further up the line. We're a pretty vigilant community round here and there would always be somebody to flag up crimes not being taken seriously.

[Elaine]

Robo, regarding the police lack of interest. Did every one of you affected by the thieves/vandals make a complaint to them?? Or just one of you on behalf of everyone? We were told by our local PCSO that if everyone affected reports even the slightest damage or smallest theft which has occurred in one incident, they cannot ignore it.
So, now, every plot holder that has had something damaged or nicked, makes a report to them, as well as our Secretary.

[Westi]

Our police were very good when we had issues & even waited out in a shed at night to catch the vandals. Took them a couple of nights but they got the teenagers.

They continue to do walk arounds (scared the living daylights out of me one evening), & are becoming a bigger part of the allotment community popping in on the Summer Fair.

You really do need to report each event not just as one, then the numbers creep up & to keep to their targets they soon take notice.

Westi

[robo]

Ive made 3 reports up to now other plot holders have as well, we have given the community bobbie keys to our main gates , we have questioned and made complaints to local councillors and representatives from the police at community liason meetings all to no avail ,then i have to sit through adverts from the sally army asking for £19 to give the lowlife a christmas dinner , i normally feel sorry for people on the streets but not of late