New type of allotment theft

[glallotments]

Some of our plot holders have fallen victim to a new type of theft - for our site anyway.

Young plants - tomato lettuce and cucumebr have been stolen from greenhouses. Fortunately for us we grow ours on at home but it is sickening when someone has bought special seeds and grown the seedlings on only to have them stolen - one victim was a young child too.

Young plants can be bought cheaply at garden centres so it isn't just a case of saving money!

We just worry that in the current economic climate with shop prices going up whether stealing fruit and vegetables from allotment will become fashionable!

[Johnboy]

Hi Sue,
Sadly this is nothing new. When I was producing plants for sale night thefts from my tunnels were at one time rife.
I put a lock on one tunnel and the result was the key was a Stanley Knife and they simply slashed the tunnel not only the doors.
The thief was eventually caught selling the plants at a car boot sale.
Commercial grade modules were going 126 plants at a time including the module trays at £4.80 a time. These trays were all eventually recovered.
What the thief didn't know was that the module trays were marked on the under side. He got a slapped wrist from the magistrate not even a fine but had to pay for a new polythene tunnel cover just over £500.00.
An allotment was raided locally just last week in the next village and all the plants removed. The plants had been dug up so it wasn't just a case of vandalism but an act of theft.
JB.

[glallotments]

Must admit I blame car boot sales for lots of petty crime as it is so easy to sell things on.

[Geoff]

and eBay!

[Primrose]

I'm really sickened when I read of cases like this because the amount of time and effort put it by the growers is out of all proportion to the value of the plants when they're sold on. I just wish I could be on the magistrates bench on the occasions when these thieves are caught! Sadly they are rarely caught because such offences are almost impossible to track down.

Is there any kind of harmless dye which can be sprayed on to the plants to protect them against this type of theft?

[Beryl]

Many thanks for a timely warning. We have quite a few new plotholders putting up greenhouses on our site. Thankfully mine is at home but not a nice thought it could happen. Well worth passing the word.

Thanks again
Beryl.

[Johnboy]

In my previous posting about the local garden theft I forgot to mention that they even dug up the Rhubarb that had been there for over thirty years and was in full production! The owner is so distressed that he hasn't the heart to replant it this year. The veg plot has been dug over for him and all weeds removed and we have covered it with h/d black Polythene until the autumn. This is a 60ft x30ft plot!
The police have searched every nook and cranny to try and find the plants but to no avail.
JB.

[glallotments]

That is so sickening JohnBoy. It's amazing how our council don't consider allotment security to be a priority - they just take our rents and sit back and maybe provide an occassional skip. On the other hand we have some plot holders who make life easier for would be thieves.

[Parsons Jack]

That is so sickening JohnBoy. It's amazing how our council don't consider allotment security to be a priority - they just take our rents and sit back and maybe provide an occassional skip. On the other hand we have some plot holders who make life easier for would be thieves.

Security fencing is only as good as the last person on the site. If he leaves the gates open, then it may as well not be there.
Many's the morning that I have arrived on our site before 8am to find both sets of gates wide open and not a soul anywhere to be seen. They are often open all night. It doesn't matter how many notices we put up, shutting gates doesn't seem to apply to most people

[glallotments]

That's very true PJ on our site too - but the council originally supported the majority request (backed up by a letter from the police) and sent a letter out stating gates had to be locked at all times. A habdful of people just wouldn't comply and were asked to a meeting with the council's allotments officers - on attending the council backed down and refused to have anything more to do with security.

One of our main culprits is a council community support officer who would arrive on site in full uniform and leave the gates wide open when he left. Some people are too lazy to get out of their cars to deal with gates.

[Beryl]

I agree keeping gates locked is a problem on most sites, but we have found pilfering of crops etc. on site is usually from someone who has a
plot and therefore is less likely to be questioned as to why he/she might be wandering about. When there is large amounts taken or damage done then it is from an outsider.

Beryl.

[Baz]

I agree keeping gates locked is a problem on most sites, but we have found pilfering of crops etc. on site is usually from someone who has a
plot and therefore is less likely to be questioned as to why he/she might be wandering about. When there is large amounts taken or damage done then it is from an outsider.

Beryl.

Has anyone reading this ever caught someone stealing plants on the allotment? If so, what did you say/do?

[Nature's Babe]

I had an allotment when my children were young back in the sixties and we never worried about security then, nothing went missing.... no gates even.
It's a sad reflection on society generally today. My sympathies go out to allotment holders today, it's sad when theives steal from those who might possibly be on low incomes and should be commended for trying hard to help themselves.

[peter]

Has anyone reading this ever caught someone stealing plants on the allotment? If so, what did you say/do?

Yes.
Kids who I recognised.
Rang the parent.
Repeat outside site day or two later carrying stolen canes, she ran, told parent it was last chance next time police would be involved for criminal damage (hole cut in fence) and theft (£20 worth of garden canes), that sorted that one.

[Baz]

Has anyone reading this ever caught someone stealing plants on the allotment? If so, what did you say/do?

Yes.
Kids who I recognised.
Rang the parent.
Repeat outside site day or two later carrying stolen canes, she ran, told parent it was last chance next time police would be involved for criminal damage (hole cut in fence) and theft (£20 worth of garden canes), that sorted that one.

Well played.

I'm one of those on a very long waiting list for an allotment and I'm curious about etiquette on them. Someone I know who has a plot tells me he will often arrive and find other allotment owners on his ground, having a good mess about with his plants and fruit bushes. I think that would drive me mad.