Allotment Thieves - BBC News

[Shortie]

A collegue was just telling me that on the news this morning he heard of people breaking into allotments for the food because of the food prices...

I hadn't realised things were that bad

I'd put up the video link from the BBC website but it keeps crashing my IE

[lottie dolly]

my sister rang with the news earlier on,also that some plants,like potatoes are being dug up and when the spudz removed,are planting the tops back in,and the first you know of it is when you notice the plant maybe in need of water,so you dig them up and now't there,surely just telling people what the crims have done,will give others some ideas,the mind boggles

[Mikey]

Wow, thats the smartest dressed allotment holders I have ever come across.

[piskieinboots]

here's the link

[Mikey]

here's the link

not getting nowt, sorry double negative.

[TonyF]

J told me to calm down after I saw that on the BBC this morning. I was RAGING, it's the lowest scummy bastar*s on God's earth who do that sort of thing, it's not economic necessity, it's plain old fashioned anti-social thieving!!!

People are hard up and want veggies - dig up your garden, go to one of the low price/cut price shops and buy some seeds and GROW THE BLOODY THINGS YOURSELF, if nothing else you'll be so knackered after a day's work you wont have the energy to go out stealing OTHER PEOPLE'S FOOD!!!!!!! Not their property, covered (hopefully) by insurance but their FOOD.

If the thieves are in here, you're low life scummy bastar*ds.

Thank you, I've now finished!!!

[littlewin]

I've not seen the TV yet, but I think it is really sad that things have come to this. About time Gordon Brown got his act together !!

[quark1]

It makes me hopping mad to read about this kind of thing.

And if by chance an allotment holder happened to catch and detain said thieves/vandals - he's almost certainly get arrested for 'kidnap' or wrongful arrest - just like that 57yr old ex-para who detained an 11yr old vandalising his property. He had to wait for weeks for the charges to be formally dropped. Meanwhile the dear little fellow - short of his father's name - cock's a snook at his victim and authority. The parents rarely seem to want to properly discipline their mini hooligans so there are no boundaries. The parents who do are often spoken to by social services and/or police.

Can't win can you?

[gemlady]

Sadly I'm not surprised, it's something I've been expecting to happen. There are some people in this country who don't give a damn about anyone else and are willing to take whatever they want from others regardless. Things are not that bad in this country yet that we have still food from out of each others mouths.

[piskieinboots]

whoooo Tony - you GO boy *respect

[dan1979]

Saw this when they aired it this morning.

I don't understand why the reporter kept saying some people might think it's trivial as if he was excusing it as non-serious news.

Surely trespassing and theft is very serious no matter what is being taken.

[Two_Sheds]

Allotment theft and vandalism has NEVER been taken seriously. It's just regarded as a bit of a hobby; people don't realise how much time & effort goes into it. I've got a few man-traps rigged up around my plot, so go ahead punk, make my day

[di]

Allotment theft and vandalism has NEVER been taken seriously. It's just regarded as a bit of a hobby; people don't realise how much time & effort goes into it. I've got a few man-traps rigged up around my plot, so go ahead punk, make my day

I'm intrigued!are they anything like mole traps/pigeon cages?!or just good old fashioned dug pits covered with grass?
got to the plot today to find out a chap has had some bits nicked,& obviously lazy thieves as they attempted some carrots but only managed to pull the tops off.another chap has had some of his crops trampled on.so far this year we've had nothing stolen but our gate was knocked over the other day so sure someones had a snoop around!
not making it any better but i think it's a problem thats unfortunately been around for years,& the news have got no "proper"story to cover so......
several of the old boys are arranging a meeting to discuss poss action~got a horrible feeling it may involve camping out!!

[squashysu]

thieving little gits!!!! no respect, if i caught my kids doing that they would get it, i can tell ya!! as for adults that have no respect for what others have done, gets on my wick, no wonder kids have no respect!!!!!

cor, i am lucky mine is in the garden, but if anyone comes in here, the rottweiller will get them, - thats me!!!!!

SS

[Alice]

Disgraceful. Sadly such behaviour seems to be regarded as minor misdemeanors when it is a blight on peoples lives and a scourge on communities.
A much harder stance is required.