Mindless vandalism

[sauzee]

Today i was greeted with the door on my hut being smashed to bits but nothing had been stolen.There are 58 plots on the allotment and 39 were broken into.As far as i know none had anything taken only attempted to steal a petrol lawnmower and a strimmer.We have an 8ft fence all the way round and in the summer nettles all the way round the side.But winter made the perimeter bare from the nettles and the little bleeders cut a hole in the fence.So kids are now armed with wire snips when they go out to play.I dont see the joy they can get from smashing peoples doors up and they didn't even want to steal anything

[Liza]

Sorry to hear that.

Buggers did the same thing where I have my allotment, they are usually looking for petrol for their motorbikes.
One weekend they pushed all the sheds over, I have tied mine to a tree !

I never lock my shed which is ok if you dont keep anything valuable in it, but saves the door being smashed in.

One of the old boys left a can of petrol out on purpose once but mixed in some water, that had seemed to have done the trick so far they havnt been back.

[Liza]

I thought I was the only one up at this time in the morning

Cant sleep too excited about planting seeds, sad but true

[Jeanied]

Sauzee - same thing happened to me this year: shed bought and put up in May - and it has been broken into 3 times since then. On our plots there are only half a dozen sheds and the local vandals had their fun either turning them over or smashing the windows in and doors. Then a different kind of damage from those looking for something to steal - they just smash the door/lock to get in - take a look, take anything they can use and leave. We think those are the ones looking for something to sell for drugs.
Now I don't lock the door (well, the lock was stolen in any case!) but prop it shut with a chunk of wood. And I only keep old tools in there - I have had one trowel stolen since then and that's it. It took me a while not to get worked up about it, but as you have found, there is nothing that can keep a determined vandal out 24/7.

[Hans Mum]

i've never had a lock on my shed & although its been looked in touch wood nothing has been taken, we had an episode last year when 'visitors' decided to swap everyones tools about so my spade ended up in some elses shed and vice versa

[OllieMartin]

One of the old boys left a can of petrol out on purpose once but mixed in some water, that had seemed to have done the trick so far they havnt been back.

I seem to remember reading that if you put sugar in with petrol it damages the engine. That could teach them a lesson AND put a stop to some of the "BWAAAAAAAAAP BWAAAAAAP DING-DING-DING" noises that run up and down most of the streets I've lived on all night.

[Hilary B]

If you rewally NEED to keep something at the lottie that might appeal to thieves, consider a Van Vault. It is designed to be bolted onto an open truck/small lorry, but we installed one in the shed in Spain, and the thieves who have visited since have failed to get in. You will need to put some bolts into a lump of concrete and attach it to that. If the thing is inside the shed, with the bolt going through the floor, they can't tip the shed over either. Ours holds a small genny, a chainsaw, angle-grinder, and all the DIY tools we possess out thereThe shed is big, and rather sturdier than the average lottie shed, but not much harder for an intruder to get into (well it wasn't, but we've done something about that more recently, still not totally thief-proof, but difficult). As a bonus, there is a strong cable that can be looped through things too big for the Vault, and which can only be detached when the Vault is opened. They did try to cut that once, and failed.....

[snuffer]

What is so shocking about these stories is that no-one is shocked by them. We almost expect the low-life and scum to come visiting in order to take what they want. What's worse is that there doesn't seem to be anything we can do about it. There's something not quite right when the best form of defence against these idiots is to leave your shed unlocked so that they can take a look around without having to go to the effort of breaking in. No doubt if one of them trod on the rake or something and was injured it would be our fault for not keeping a tidy shed.

[northepaul]

That's awful, Sauzee.
Hope something gets done about it!

[Liza]

What is so shocking about these stories is that no-one is shocked by them. We almost expect the low-life and scum to come visiting in order to take what they want. What's worse is that there doesn't seem to be anything we can do about it. There's something not quite right when the best form of defence against these idiots is to leave your shed unlocked so that they can take a look around without having to go to the effort of breaking in. No doubt if one of them trod on the rake or something and was injured it would be our fault for not keeping a tidy shed.

I was gutted when they pushed my shed over, so tied it to the elder tree

But what made me most upset was one of the old boys about 80ish spent every day on his allotment was up there at the crack of dawn come rain or shine. One night they got in and pulled up all his brassicas.

Soon after he gave up the plot and never came back makes me sick to the bottom of my stomach, it was his life that plot.

[sweetiepea]

It takes all sorts to make a world - unfortunately. Sorry to hear about your misfortune sauzee.

[binley100]

All our allotments were broken into friday night. They didn't take anything just went round with a pair of boltcutters cutting chains and padlocks off. Totally midless what is the point. So you have my sympathies.

[Prince of Durham]

Don't think there will be and allotment holder who hasn't got some stories about the cowards in the dark. Mine is near a park used by the great unwashed as a social meeting spot. What appeals in a pitch black park in the dead of winter is anyones guess.

Chin up the good people of the world will one day realise "hang on, why are we putting up with this"? Then we can all leave our sheds open.

[sauzee]

I can understand kids wanting to play about and have a look around i remember when i was a kid we used to into the allotments.But we would only mess about and maybe eat a carrot or a couple of peas,now they are intent on causing damage for no reason all the huts they didn't get the padlocks off they smashed the whole door off.Mine had to be the one with a mortice lock so no door left.I think they are thinking about growing hawthorn or some other prickly bushes around the fence.So hopefully it will keep them away.Even putting up dummy CCTV cameras and signs dont help they just wear hoods.I still blame the government for banning the school belt at least kids got taught some discipline even if not at home.I don't think it done anyone else any harm

[Scunny Zeb]

I still blame the government for banning the school belt at least kids got taught some discipline even if not at home.I don't think it done anyone else any harm

My thoughts exactly.
IF you manage to catch one of the little ***$**!*s and give him a clout round the 'lug hole', then you are the one charged with assault and the little darling gets praise and prezzies to help him cope with the trauma.

I dont mind admitting that I was on the recieving end of cane at school. I've also had one or two clips round the ear from the local Bobby. If I'd have told my parents about it, I'd have got another one.
The result was, I didnt do it again.

I wonder how I would have turned out if I had been given X Box games and such like instead every time I committed a mis-demeanor.


Bring back the cane in schools and National Service !