Allotment shed raids

[pigletwillie]

My site has 160 plots and is surrounded by fencing, which is in turn surounded by housing and a school. All in all its a very secure site and in the 4 years I have been there there has only been the odd crop theft for which the culprit was fingered.

Up until last week that is.

Every shed bar 5 on the site had their locks sawn off, bolt cropped or levered off and any mechanical tool stolen. Strangely hand tools were left behind even the quality stuff. The net haul was a handful of mantis rotovators and a couple of handfuls of strimmers, trimmers etc. No other damage was done and the whole site was cleared out. The only ones not hit were those left unlocked or those with windows that could be looked in without the effort of removing the lock.

Definitely a pro job undertaken by people who knew exactly what they wanted.

Beware, they could be coming to a site near you.

[Nicos]

Oh how awful

I had to break into my shed last weekend ( couldn't find the keys) and was surprised how quickly I managed to prise the lock off

[Seahorse]

As you say PW, sounds like a very professional outfit stealing to order. What has teh police response been like?

[Flummery]

Hmmm. We don't have sheds - plots not full size and everyone lives locally - small village. However, home sheds get 'done' from time to time. You can't stop scumbags, sadly.

[Alice]

What a shame Piglet. Yes, definitely an organised job.
What mean and miserable people to do such a thing.
Hope the police are on the case.

[Snadger]

I never lock my shed or greenhouses...........in fact I've just recently fitted bolts to the doors, saves wedging them shut with a brick!

We haven't had any thefts but I deffo wouldnt leave electrical or petrol driven machines there.

Still think it's best to leave them unlocked and take any good stuff away with you!

My stainless steel tools are hidden in the hen hut!

Hope YOU personally didn't get anything nicked Piglet?

[pigletwillie]

My sheds escaped Snager as they both have windows and could be seen into. Stuffed full of Joseph Bentley spades and forks mind but thankfully they were not on the wanted list

[SarzWix]

That's awful Sounds like they were very well organised scum, rather than the usual 'bust the window/smash the greenhouse windows/nick the crops' scum.

I don't have huge security as there's not a lot to steal really, and a lot of locks just says there's something to protect. Touch wood, the worst damage we've had is a hole in the greenhouse plastic.

[beefy]

Sounds like somebody is trying to get a little cash together for Christmas Piglet . Keep an eye on Flebay etc and the local small adds . you would be suprised what might turn up.

[zazen999]

We bought tools from Wilko for our lottie in case this happens...nothing electrical or of any worth in ours really. If they took my original kneeler I'd be gutted but it would stiill be relatively cheap to replace.

The people who do this are scum.

[Hans Mum]

these scumbags think they can just help themselves, sorry for your neighbours loses glad yours was untouched, i leave mine unlocked for exactly that reason, just remember what goes round comes round

[kernowyon]

when we have break ins on our site the chairman suggests we all report singley to the police, so we each get a crime number rather than a joint one for the whole site. plays havoc with their crime figures

[Two_Sheds]

That's terrible.
Did people have their postcodes painted or engraved onto their expensive tools?
Not that it would necessarily deter, but if you came across your tools on eBay or the local Car Boot, you could ask some awkward questions.

[piskieinboots]

why are there such rotten people out there? what makes them rotten and mean?

[petal]

I reckon these mechanical tools are leaving the country, possibly with a job lot of tractors (anyone see countryfile on sunday?) Then they can't be so easily traced.