Grow Your Own Magazine

Raids on allotments

Thieves are raiding allotments across the Black Country and Staffordshire. Rhubarb, potatoes and onions were part of a haul stolen from an allotment near Cannock, while security had to be increased at patches in West Bromwich. Allan Rees, of the National Society of Allotments and Leisure Gardening, said: “Families are getting poorer and this is one way of putting food on the table.” News in brief: Brown deal to quash Planning Bill rebels - Times Online

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~ What do I think of Western civilisation? I think it would be a very good idea ~ Gandhi

I was just about to start a thread on this having seen it on the Beeb this morning. Thanks for saving me the effort

Do we really think these thefts are to do with the price of food? I wonder if people are just nicking it to sell.

As some of you know, I had chillis, marigolds and a few other bits'n'bobs in modules stolen from my lottie greenhouse recently - I really doubt the culprit intended to plant them out themselves, they HAD to be selling them.

I've been told if using growbags on the lottie, to slash lots of big cuts in the bottom so if anyone tries to steal them they wont get far, it'll all fall out and to make sure any pots are really well weighted down so they're too heavy to carry away. Nobody leaves anything growing in modules up there and we're all worried about tomatoes and the like when they start cropping.

I agree this kind of crime is on the increase but also think its more to do with making a fast profit - IMO the culprits are more likely to eat a BigMac than a healthy veg meal!!

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Life may not be the party we hoped for but since we're here we might as well dance

On our site so far it has been gooseberries - apparently it was the same last year. What a strange thing to steal! There is a suspicion that proceeds from these thefts are then sold at car boots...

in our 1st year of growing we had several squash/pumpkins stolen,they werent even ripe & it was too early for halloween.what annoyed me most was that the secretary saw a car with peeps that werent plotholders leaving the site & left them to leave without asking any questions.also theres 1 plotholder that apparrently everyone"knows"has a habit of helping himself to other peeps crops to then sell on to his neighbours!,so although obviously locking the gates may deter non keyholder thieves but what about the lightfingered keyholders?

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the fates lead him who will;him who won't they drag.

Happiness is not having what you want,but wanting what you have.xx

If someone was so hungry and desperate for a bag of tatties, if they came to my allotment I would give them some.

Are we turning into a third world country now?

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My Majesty made for him a garden anew in order
to present to him vegetables and all beautiful flowers.- Offerings of Thutmose III to Amon-Ra (1500 BCE)

I'm a pretty good deterrent on our site, as most of my work is done between 8pm and 10pm, 99.5% of the time I'm on my own, I'm sure this would deter would be thieves calling by on the off chance. Its a lot harder wandering round an allotment in the dark, there's always so many thinkgs to trip over.

I have to agree with Snadger if anyone truely needed something to live I'm more than willing to share whatever I have with them.Hel.xxx.

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A cheesy grin wins many a heart!

Me too. I would be more than happy to share our excess produce with people who need it, but I think its more about selling for profit here than genuine need. And that's just plain cheeky.

I really don't understand why people think it's okay to steal other people produce and the fruits of all their labour!!! How would they like it if it was done to them?!?!

It's rude. But I also think that people like this can misrepresent their generation. And I'm sad to say that it's likely to be my generation. I, personally, think it's abhorrent, but it saddens me to say that there are many in my year group at school who I know would have no qualms about stealing from anywhere. Our local allotments haven't been struck yet, but who knows??

My commiserations,

Jennifer

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Whilst typing the above reply, I was probably supposed to be doing homework. My excuse: I'm hooked!

Thieves struck on our (new) allotment site and stole a new shed, tools and a wood/iron table and bench seat from plots. At least they didn't nick the vegtables! This prompted an upgrade in security (locks on gates) but as they chucked said items over the fence onto the waiting pick up truck, locked gates would make little difference. It's a pity that folk don't just get left alone to do their thing.

me too, I would willingly give someone some produce , although I haven't been a victim what really annoys me is the damage which is left behind in these thieves wake, My dad had an allotment some years ago and regularly had produce stolen but they used to damage crops that weren't ready in the process.

yeah our allotment has had a spate of break-ins lately, it just looked like they wanted to cause damage as nothing was taken, sheds were vandalised but nothing stolen...as yet!!!
we are in norfolk so this is a widespread problem

I have loads of slugs guarding my plot, if anyone even looks at my veggies they will eat them all!!

Id rather them eaten by slugs than eaten by thieves.

Maybe if you made it known that once a week all excess would be left at the gates there would be no need to worry about the allotments. That way it could go to those who might try to profit from it (lets face it if they need to profit from some veg they are hardly the Krays and are probably quite poor) AND those who really dont have the money to buy veg and want it for themselves

"That way it could go to those who might try to profit from it (lets face it if they need to profit from some veg they are hardly the Krays and are probably quite poor)" Or raising funds to feed their drug habit? I'm probably being cynical here, but I think I'd like to see the people who are having the excess produce rather than encourage people to just "take"

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Always look on the bright side of life
View my blog - http://chooksandveggies.blogspot.com/ updated November 1st 2008

ooooooh!! If you are unfortunate enough to have to fund a drug habit you need Flat screens, laptops, mobiles, not radishes, courgettes and onions.

Whooops Shows just how much I know about druggies then

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Always look on the bright side of life
View my blog - http://chooksandveggies.blogspot.com/ updated November 1st 2008

We have had ruhbarb slashed. tatties and cabbage and onions stolen, first time produce has been stolen here in Middlesbrough at our site???

Vandalism has always ben a problem but the only produce thieves have been SLUGS and CATERPILLARS.

I class these peeps as human slugs

The problem here that I see is that you would get a number of opportunists, coming and taking the produce in order to sell at car boot sales. I am cynical I know, but then so is life, if you wanted to ensure it goes to a good cause, why not give it to local soup kitchens. They are always in need of assistance, and at least you can ensure the homeless get a good quality meal once in a while.