giving up before i start ?

[polc1410]

Scare crow well dressed to look like a plot holder.

CCTV camera sign can do no harm.

You want to make your plot more difficult to damage than the next, your site more difficult than the next.

Your next holidays are Easter. Can a few of you plan to be around, passing by etc as much as possible.

Any neighbours nearby? Do they like your site or not??

[sam 51]

I have spoken to the person in charge.
apparently, one council dept, wants to charge the other dept. 25k to put a fence up.
I suggested cctv signs, but that doesn't look promising, as they think the little villains will start to look for the cameras, and when they find there arnt any they will carry on.
as this seems to happen at night, I can imaging,
this lot running around with flashlights, trying to find them.
no wonder this country is going to the dogs.

[polc1410]

I have spoken to the person in charge.
apparently, one council dept, wants to charge the other dept. 25k to put a fence up.
I suggested cctv signs, but that doesn't look promising, as they think the little villains will start to look for the cameras, and when they find there arnt any they will carry on.
as this seems to happen at night, I can imaging,
this lot running around with flashlights, trying to find them.
no wonder this country is going to the dogs.

So worst case is probably that they steal the signs and carry on.

Another possibility is they run round with torches (probably the flashlight function on their iPhone!) hunting for them. People shinying lights in allotments attracts attention.

More likely they either ignore them and carry on.

Or they decide not to take the chance of being caught on camera. Round here a little scroat knows they might well end up being pictured in the village newsletter. That their parents etc might read that and their life wont be worth living. Any scroat with half a brain then decides to go some place else to cause his bother... ...Now that does rely on someone in the scroat's social circle actually thinking what he/she has done is a bad thing and giving them grief about it... But if its not a parent it could be a school teacher, social worker etc.

Fake camera's are cheap too if there is somewhere high enough they can be mounted that they can't be nicked... £5 on fleabay. Get one with a battery powered LED, mount it somewhere where it could have power (lamp post would be good if there is one...)

Now put yourself in the scroat's shoes... ...there is a sign at the gate. A camera visible. Why would you take the chance that its a fake? You wouldn't you'd just go some place else to coz your troubles...

[Maddiesaur]

Polc read my mind! Signs and lights present really DO make a difference when protecting any property.
And yep, I was going to mention fake cameras too. You can even get REAL cameras (all be it not very good quality, but they work) for as little as £25 for a set up.

Absolutely make sure that someone can be seen and/or heard in the evenings over the holidays. Even a radio left on in a locked shed over the back and a timed switch light to be on until say 9pm and a quick flick on and off again every hour or two thereafter until morning.

Anything you can do to make it look like the area is being monitored as much as possible will put them off.

Why not ask each plot member to chip in £1 and pay for a small article in your local newspaper? Or even get some flyers printed up (can be done at home at the expense of one pack of printer paper and one ink cartridge). In either, you could note that damage is being done on the local community plots and extra measures will be put into place to monitor it. Ask for the locals to keep an listen and look out for anything that sounds suspicious and call the police and you/the lotty comity if they notice anything.

It'll only take one of the little lovelies to see one, or be told by a family member etc, to further put them off

[Jamesy_uk]

Well Sam I am on the old allotments opposite so if you want a whinge or to meet some folks for advice then let me know. I do know there's been a few shed breakins recently but really in a year and half I had my plot I rarely heard of any incidents. I think it is mainly everything is so open and explosed due to the lack of tenants isn't helping. The way the council do things is offer someone a plot and then wait 30 days for a response... or more so that means big delays in getting a plot to someone who wants it if a few people pass.

[sam 51]

no more damage at the mo.
council haven't turned water on yet.
water pipe that was damaged hasn't been fixed.
the plots need to be taken.
shill loads left. im thinking of sub letting. lol.
put me onions and garlic in,a month ago.
1st early spuds went in last weekend.
going to put me lates in end of april.

[Bigmallly]

Glad you are still hanging in there Sam.

[alldigging]

no more damage at the mo.
council haven't turned water on yet.
water pipe that was damaged hasn't been fixed.
the plots need to be taken.
shill loads left. im thinking of sub letting. lol.
put me onions and garlic in,a month ago.
1st early spuds went in last weekend.
going to put me lates in end of april.

Have you spoken to others on the site about all this?

You need to get on to whoever manages the allotments. Can be hard I know with stretched budgets and time.

[polc1410]

1st early spuds went in last weekend.
going to put me lates in end of april.

I'm of the belief they all go in together - lates take longer to crop...

[sam 51]

I'm of the belief they all go in together - lates take longer to crop...

yes that is true. but my lates are desire, I want them ready sometime in sept or oct.
all trial and error for me.

[Bigmallly]

You can still put them in at the "normal" time, just leave them in the ground till you need them. You may even end up with bigger spuds.

[sam 51]

thanks for the advice, will put the lates in asap.