How do you protect your shed?

[Bex2012]

Or dont you?

Found out that my shed got broken into over the allotment sometime over the last few days (me and several others). Got a very rough idea of whats gone, but need to go a look properly.
My shed was secured with a padlock, which theyve jemmied off, damaging the door. Would you bother putting another one on, or going full out fort knox, alarms, padlocks, flashing sirens etc?

[Thelma Sanders]

I don't lock my shed - so leave nothing of value in there.
Other sheds have been ripped apart to get inside, I'd rather have an unbroken shed.

[veggiechicken]

Here's another thread about it http://www.growfruitandveg.co.uk/gra...ent_91894.html
There are lots more!

[bario1]

neither of my sheds have a lock on, all that seems to be in them is plastic bags anyway.

[bario1]

And spiders.

[burnie]

I don't have a lottie so can only guess at your pain, I'd go for the leave nothing worth nicking route and would put up a sign saying so, like they do on the back of tradesmen's vans.

[Nafets]

I dont lock my shed, the tools I leave in there are cheap/given to me/found. Any other bits and bobs in there ive taken from skips so I wouldn't really miss any of it.

[DataMonkey]

I have a very old padlock on mine, but the key is obviously in view, and the door is hanging off anyway so I'm of the "nothing to nick in here" school.

It doesn't seem to be a problem on our allotments to be honest, because they are quite scruffy and the only time a shed ever got broken into was when they took a rotavator that was in there.

I think the more locks and signs you put on there the more it will attract attention.

[Deano's "Diggin It"]

Got to the stage where I actually leave my shed door actually pinned back fully open, as the hassle of fixing doors and windows was getting in the way have actually getting anything productive done, and little of no value gets left in there these days, but only if they knew!

Takes a lot to be one step ahead of me, Honest, and I don't say tha flippently! ......

[Cadalot]

The problem is they nick stuff from the "I don't lock my shed brigade" and then use it to break into the ones that are locked. Case in point they nicked a small blow torch from a "I don't lock my shed" plot holder and then went about setting fire to blow-a-ways and polytunnels on the plot with it.

It just goes against the grain to allow them easy access so no padlocks I have two locks one at the head of the door and one at the side. A bench inside restrains the door frame at mid height both sides. I need to get some coach bolts and replace a screws on the frame and two on the hinges on the door.

See Alans Allotment: Plot Security

[Deano's "Diggin It"]

But Cad! There are no tools, blow torches, bazzucka's, land mines (Although I'd like to) 4.10 barrels pointing at the door! (Again which i'd like to) So unlocked n open is the way forward for me!!!!

[Cadalot]

Deano - If it works for you then do it, but some on our site who had an open door policy have changed their mind because their shed was ransacked three times in a fortnight, screwdrivers and screws were taken, the police inform us that the little darlings use screws to hotwire motor bikes when they nick them.

They also use the screwdriver to remove the screws from a hasp that had been put on backwards. The photo is after the shed owner screwed it back on incorrectly after it had been removed, when I pointed out that when fitted correctly the screw heads were not visible the shed owner said "What a good idea".... Doh!

[Mrs Bee]

We don't have a shed on our allotment, 'cos we only live 5 minutes away and take and bring back what we need or leave stuff under some old wooden pallets.

I know it wouldn't be allowed but it would be rather satisfying to be able to rig up something like an electric fence around the sheds, or bury a couple of land mines or a few well placed mantraps.

But of course it would be totally wrong to do this of course.

[Bex2012]

Hmm, very mixed views! Thanks for all the responses, lots there to think about. I wouldnt say theres a lot of valuable stuff in mine, it was all fairly cheap stuff, but once you start adding it up, it accumulates (like screws. - £3 a box, x 4 boxes). The plots are fairly secure, we have 7ft security fencing round the whole site, and cctv, but it looks like they've targeted the plots that back on to the field.

Id love to put carpet gripper along the rail of the fence, but Id worry about the resident fox catching himself on it...or one of these alarms in the shed https://youtu.be/khLRjyJ_Ymo

Instead I think Im going to remove the compost heap and get some of the nastiest, spikiest hedging plants I can find... Anyone know of a variety of stinging nettles that grow to 8ft and last year round

[Cadalot]

Instead I think Im going to remove the compost heap and get some of the nastiest, spikiest hedging plants I can find... Anyone know of a variety of stinging nettles that grow to 8ft and last year round

Hawthorne bush !