How do you protect your shed?

[Snadger]

We've just had a speight of burglaries on our allotment site. The only plots that had any damage or stuff taken from were the ones with padlocks on doors.
One plot holder is leaving because of this, but I am afraid he was told not to leave anything of value on site and not to padlock shed doors.
Ours is a remote site and the police can't/won't patrol it. Out of a total of 40 plots, five had padlocked doors and all five had stuff nicked and sheds vandalised.The rest were left unscathed without any vandalism, and nothing was taken. Read into that what you will.

[greenishfing]

I think a lot depends on the type of lowlife visiting your plot. We have two types:

1. Teenagers who are looking for somewhere to drink, have sex, take drugs and vandalise.

2. Thieves

Nothing will stop type 2 from getting into sheds and unfortunately they cause damage but if we leave our sheds unlocked type 1 invade and have been known to leave their faeces and other bodily fluids behind.

We compromise by padlocking our doors but leaving nothing of value inside and making sure they can see this through the windows. It doesn't always work.......

If it was up to my hubby we would have the works. Boobytraps involving land mines, grenades etc, a pyrhana infested moat and guard towers with machine guns.

[Mrs Bee]

Get pyracantha. That is vicious evil stuff and there are berries for the birds.

[Bex2012]

Get pyracantha. That is vicious evil stuff and there are berries for the birds.

Thats exactly what someone in work suggested. Ive got a red one in the garden (cotoneaster and pyracantha is the same thing isnt it?). Will keep an eye out for some reasonsonable sized plants, and maybe a couple of berberis too.

[ESBkevin]

I've got a pallet laid in front of the shed door like decking. But it's got big gaps for little feet to slip into in the dark. A padlock and a mortice lock plus a loud alarm. Also no hand tools of significant value are left. It's handy to keep watering cans, netting, pots, labels, string, wire etc.

[katkatkat]

I am currently hoping the previous owner of my new plot hasn't secured the shed too well as there doesn't seem to be a key available so tomorrow morning's job is attempt to break in!

Though interesting to hear views on whether to secure or not

[Baldy]

I don't secure - we have a very low level of problem on our site. I did secure - then had to buy bolt cutters to get in to my own shed....
For a while I kept the sheared pad lock on so that it would look locked. Didn't want my tools used to break in to another shed. Then I realised that there were piles of bricks, heavy timber around - gettin ghold of my poundland hammer would only slow them down vs the stuff out in the open.
So now its a crusty looking shed in a crusty looking plot (admittedly in a low crime area) so far so good