yeah but no butt

I would be more than moaning. I would get a sleeping bag and lie in wait for them in my shed. A man's shed is his castle. The report would probably be,
"One missing gardener".
Best wishes
Linda

oh joan im so sorry for you and the other tennents there, have you called the council to see what can be done, you all work so hard and its also costing you all money to keep replacing everything, i cant believe people today, i think your right its being sold probably on ebay or at carboot sales, they need catching and locking up ;o((
nice to see you even under sad reasons joan x

Oh how frustrating! Does anyone have a really big mean dog they could stake in there for a week or so?? :) All kidding aside, I hope they catch whoever it is.

thanks Linda ,i know a few people have said they may stay in their sheds if it happens again..
hi sandra,yes we keep reporting it all to police in the hope they get fed up & do something ..not told council as its a self managed site not council..i too think its for car boots as its a fri or sat night when its happening, i would love to catch them. :o((

think i would get barbed wire wrapped round top of fence, that may put a stop to it if everyone could help toward, not sure how much it would be joan,

hi Gnut, thats a good idea with the dog,i dont hold out much hope for catching them though.

you are not allowed barbed wire San.......health & safety....i know i would use it if we could,we have anti vandal paint on railings but it doesnt stop them..we could do with cameras but too expensive then you have the problem where to put them to see all the site.

My heart goes out to you, Joan, I don't understand the mentality of people like that. Could you ask the Police to dust the shed and latch for any fingerprints ? Could be on the known criminal list ? Why should you and the other plot holders even have to think about sleeping in the sheds, or going up there with a dog ? It's out and out theft ! I'll never forget when our Brussels sprouts, the whole plants, were stolen on Christmas Eve from our plot, I was very, very angry to put it mildly ! Hope you find the so-and-so's before too long.

health and saftey is a pain joan, if they didnt climb over then they wouldnt get hurt would they,, grrr makes my blood boil

hi Shirley,the police wont even come out to the site ..i would not like anyone to stay in their sheds as you never know who it is and if they have anything on them you cant be too careful so i hope it wont come to that..sorry about your sprouts i hope they choked on them...
Sandra i know its a pain in the... butt...as you say if you see the wire you keep away..i suppose if you dont see it & get cut you could claim from someone i think its more that reason than health & safety..

Infuriating! Why are these people so greedy and selfish? It's just unbelievable. I suppose if they did get caught they'd get away with a slap on the wrist too. Sadly, if you did have a dog there and he went for one, he'd be the one in BIG trouble... so unfair...I really feel for you all!

hi Spritz,you are spot on there,i feel like putting a notice on the railings for the public who walk up and down the path next to the site if they see anything suspicious & a phone number on it..i may bring that up at the next meeting..you cant put 2 water butts and stands in your back pocket im sure someone must have seen something and with the greenhouse it beggars belief..thanx barbara

That's terrible news, Joanella. :-( Gerry has told me about thefts on our field of allotments but he has been lucky & nobody touched his shed. Other people had gardening tools taken but although Gerry had left one or two things out, including a whole load of new 8ft canes, nothing was taken. Other people's sheds were broken into even though several had padlocks. Gerry's only had a catch to hold the door closed.

I really feel for you & hope the thieves get caught soon. Can't several of the men "stand guard" on a couple of Friday/Saturday nights? Perhaps that would deter the thieves from coming back another night.

This is disgraceful!!!! Is there no way of funding instalment of "floodlights" at allotments to act as a deterrent? Some of the stolen items are obviously large.Pity that no-one living next to here has heard anything. Obviously an added cost, but is there any insurance policy available for allotments, just as private garden equipment can be covered under home insurance?

Shocking.......I am so sorry to read this....hope they get caught as soon as possible.

wat bt neiaber watch allarms going off that may get police attention. its so bad omg i wud lie in wait and dragg them to the station

Horrible. Why not try wildlife cameras? They run on batteries & are small and inconspicuous. I hope somebody catches these #@!?* in the act and turns them in.

Hi all,

Stumbled upon this forum looking for tips on seed collecting, but was drawn to this post.

Instead of barbed wire like suggested earlier couldn't you try a natural alternative grown around vulnerable area's of the perimeter?

I'm sure with everyone's knowledge of gardening on here a plant/shrub that looks nice and acts as a deterrent can be found.

Something with thorns or at the very least that might leave them with a nasty rash if they try again...

Hmmm, like a pyracantha - that would be good ..... but this lot sound like they'd just uproot the plants before they got their roots down and established.

I think severe measure are called for in the immediate future until any plant could get established but if barbed wire and electric fences aren't allowed i don't know of any effective method to keep them out, this is probably youngsters, bored at night and doing it for their own entertainment ..... i can't print here what i really think, grrrrrr.

Just had a thought, if you could dig up huge clumps of nettles - with very large rootballs - and replant them intact around the vulnerable areas 'that' might work ......

I'm sorry I put a "like" before I read all your blog Joanella. So sorry.

just hope it will b sorted. gud idea bt the thorny plants tho get them in asap . they do grow quik.

thank you all for your kind words and helpful comments,to answer a few of them ..some plots are individually fenced off and have brambles growing up as the site is an old one.. our site is next to them and only been open for 2yrs & some of the plot holders along the public fence like to chat to passers by ,i have planted climbing roses all along our bit of the fence but it will be years before they become a deterrent.. but i think this is the answer ..i think a few of the men may do that Balcony..David we are self funded and am not sure about the insurance side of it but worth asking them thank you..
Louise ,trouble is we dont know how or where they are getting on ...
Dylan..lol dont worry about it ..
Lauram i may look at these cameras thanks...
i will keep you all up to date if they get caught