Topic: A new pest - to me at least

[plot76]

Between 28th and 30th December, my plot was visited, not by interested gardeners or fellow green fingered friends but by the local youth with an intent for destruction.

They ripped a door of one of my polytunnels, and tossed all my seed trays and potted plants across the floor, used a cane to poke holes in the side of the tunnel, and then tried to push my fruit cage over, trampling my strawberries and raspberries in the process, I reckon nearly £100 worth of damage and countless hours of growing and hard work. And this is still my first six months of having an allotment!

Why?

I will upload photo's of the mess (now cleaned up) tomorrow at www.plot76.info

[ACE]

SCUM. They have done it to us all at one time, but don't let it get you down. Make sure you report it and now we have these comunity police let them know and you might get someone who might be a gardener and will keep an eye out now and again.

They will be back, so take some precautions yourself and give somebody living nearby your number so they can ring you if they spot trouble.

I do not know if they do them anymore but SCATS used to sell a tripwire device that triggered a blank cartidge. When that goes off it awakes the neighbourhood and the hooligans sh!t theirselfs  But you can bet your life they don't wait around for the second one.

[monkey puzzle]

Sorry to hear about your uninvited guests.     I've no idea why they do it.  All I can suggest is that you make the plot as uninviting as possible without actually breaking the law.  Anti-vandal paint (a cross between tar and vaseline) strategically used might put them off.  Would make a right mess of their designer trainers and jeans AND it doesn't wash off. 

Seasoned plotholders on our site are apathetic about this kind of behaviour and seem to accept it.

In the Grow Your Own mag this month was the suggestion that plotholders form a rota so there's someone on site over a wider time period than the most popular 1000-1200 on Sundays. Who's going to volunteer for the late evening shift on Friday, Saturday and Sunday then?

Nil desperandum.

[plot76]

I had thought about trip wires, but rather than use a blank shot gun cartridge, use a small rape alarm, just connect the release wire to the trip wire, a couple of those placed around the plot should scare the bejesus out of any unsuspecting vandal of looter.

[RSJK]

Please do not harm the little darling's, they have properly had a hard upbringing and only got below £20 pocket money per week,and of course there is nothing for the poor little persons to do other then vandalise all your hard work. Just think by them doing what they have done it has perhaps brought a sense of achievement to there lives.
                              >:( >:(

[Marymary]

Really sorry to hear about the damage at your plot P76, you must have been sickened. 

A colleague at work told me that her sister was sleeping on her lottie with her turkeys before Christmas to make sure they were safe. 

[kt.]

Mt lottie was damaged in recent weeks but not to your extent. Put a heavy duty grease along the tops of your fences and gates. This is the thread I posted from it. There are some good ideas for preventative measures.


http://www.allotments4all.co.uk/joomla/component/option,com_smf/Itemid,91/topic,26489.0

[tim]

Harm them? I you did, you'd go to Court, not them.

Give me 'the olden days'!!

[plot76]

I've added some pictures to my web site.

http://plot76.info/january2007.html

Takes you to this months pictures.

[Froglegs]

:( The sad thing is there's not a thing you can do about it,if i had my way I'd have stocks build at the Gates to the allotments and let passersby throw rotten veg at them for a couple a days or I'm i being to cruel on the little scumbags because as you know society is to blame not THEM!!! >:(

[djbrenton]

I'm accepting any broken hedge trimmers, strimmers etc from all and sundry. The idea is that if they keep finding they've stolen useless power tools eventually they'll get fed up or get a kicking from whoever they sell them to.

[Froglegs]

Like it ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D

[moonbells]

My sympathies. We had a visit on Dec 21st, just as the schools finished for the holidays. Happens nearly every Christmas. Nothing else to do, so they go on a spree.

I lost my broccoli and cabbage netting (ripped to shreds) and they flung my carrot mesh into other plots, overturned a water butt (full) and then tipped the sludge over the shed door.

I got off lightly, given some of the other net cages I saw.

Do please telephone your local police's non-emergency line and report it, making sure that you give them a costing of the physical damage. They have to collate this into their crime figures, and they really don't like that... 
If others at your site have been vandalised too, get them to report their damage likewise, but don't be tempted to report it all as one event. Doesn't look so bad then, on the official figures. More crimes reported are more likely to get a positive response and get them to take notice. I received two letters in the end, concluding they'd no chance of catching the blighters, but I got the desired effect: letting the powers that be know that there is a problem.

And I shall continue to report every little event I get on my plot.

moonbells

ps planting spiky things is usually recommended by the police!

[angle shades]

I agree with moonbells, report everything and get a crime number and take photos.

the old boys on our plot wont report anything, but when Vandals strike me and them I report everybodies damage, just so the plods know!

sorry about your damage plot 76 and moonbells/shades x

[telboy]

plot76,
Sickening indeed. Many threads like this over the years - unfortunately!
Liked djb's idea, very original & very effective in time.
I also like the trip wire - attached to anything that results in cr***ed pants!
Explaining that to the little darlings mothers.