Topic: More Shed Break-ins

[ceres]

Our site was hit again at the weekend.  So far 3 sheds reported, there will be more as people visit over the next week or so.  This is the third incident this year, plus the arson attack that destroyed our site building.  It's so depressing because there is nothing else we can do to stop it and we know it will just keep on happening.  >:(

[1066]

Ceres, sorry to hear this, and as you say totally depressing  :(

[BarriedaleNick]

Sad to say Ceres but you are probably right in that there is nothing you can do.  With the coming darker evenings it could get worse.
Is much taken or is it just vandalism?

[Trevor_D]

I assume you've been in touch with the Crime Prevention Unit? But they're probably over-stretched and can't do much to help. Sickening, isn't it? (They couldn't even spare a lowly junior to come and visit when we had an arson attack a couple of weeks back.)

How open is your site? I've driven past the road side many times and it looks OK, but there must be places where the so-and-sos can gain entry.

[lorna]

Really sorry to hear that you have had more break ins. No one ever seems to get caught on these ever increasing crimes.

[ceres]

Yes, we've tried the crime prevention people.  There isn't actually anything more we can do.  We have one pedestrian gate and one vehicle gate which are both locked at all times.  On 3 sides, we have 8 foot brick walls.  I'd like to put razor wire or broken glass on top but it's Grade 2 listed.  On the other boundary there is an 8 foot metal railing.  It's the only side where people can see in so we've planted a native hedgerow behind it for screening.  It's not our fence - belongs to the Royal Parks, they replaced a closed panel fence with the railing a few years ago to match the other side of the adjacent footpath.  We encourage plotholders not to lean anything against the walls to make it harder for climbing but there is street furniture on the other side of the wall (telephone switch boxes, road name signs etc) that they have been seen using to climb on.  The site is 14 acres so cameras or lights are just out of the question.  If anyone has any other ideas, let's hear them.  As Lorna says, the problem is getting worse.   

[mummybunny]

I know you said you couldnt put glass or razor wire on top of the wall because its grade 2 listed but is it possible to put that anti climb stuff on it? or maybe on the bits there using to climb on  ;) Am i even making sense it looks like black tar I think  ::)

So awful that people in this world think they can take what they like  :(

[ceres]

I know you said you couldnt put glass or razor wire on top of the wall because its grade 2 listed but is it possible to put that anti climb stuff on it? or maybe on the bits there using to climb on  ;) Am i even making sense it looks like black tar I think  ::)

Sadly, no.  It's red brick so we can't paint it.  Good idea though for other sites with (unlisted!)walls/fences.  Has anyone tried it already?

[Sholls]

How depressing. :-[

...  is it possible to put that anti climb stuff on it? or maybe on the bits there using to climb on  ;) Am i even making sense it looks like black tar I think  ::)

That's certainly worth investigating; you'd have to put up warning signs, that may be an issue if the wall is listed.

Even if it doesn't stop them getting onto the plot, it'll cover them in a black gunk which is a nightmare to get out of clothing; it's not much fun to wash off skin either. (I managed to splash some on my arm when I was painting the top of my garden wall, it took a good two hours to clean off. )

Edit: Just spotted Ceres' post.  ;)

[steve76]

Could you put in some posts taller than the wall then attach barbwire to the top of the posts???

[shirlton]

We tried the paint stuff but it didn't stop them. What we did last was to thread bramble through the top of the fence. It gets more spiteful the older it gets. The kids just get a piece of wood now and put it through the metal panels and prise the bolts off. Where theres a will theres away.

[SMP1704]

Sorry to hear about your break-ins - I know that the Police can do very little in practice but they could at least show an interest.

I think the answer is persistence - ours, not theirs or if you prefer - No Surrender!

We have a really ratty chain link fence that the local youth have unravelled - so we repair it, they climb over it, so we smear anti-climb on the top and lay a landing mat of brambles ;D

You have done everything you can possibly do, just keep on doing it ((hugs))

[macmac]

So sorry to hear yet again of these break-ins,we suffer though not as often aagh 'hope I'm not tempting fate.
I agree with SMP1704 persistance. I hope they didn't take too much though the damage and "invasion" is quite enough to deal with. :(

[thifasmom]

Could you put in some posts taller than the wall then attach barbwire to the top of the posts???

i was thinking the same thing.

[ceres]

Thanks for the ideas.  I think the posts and barbed wire is a no go.  The site is 14 acres so it would take miles and miles of barbed wire and as the wall is 8 foot the posts would have to be very long to sink them in the ground and keep them stable and there would have to be an awful lot of them.  I think that falls in the same category as cameras and lights sadly.  There's also the appearance.  We're on Crown estate in a royal park and they're very fussy about how the site looks - small standard construction sheds all painted brown etc.  Can't see they'd be happy about the place looking like Stalag Luft 14!

Been thinking about the anti-climb paint though and wondering whether they'd allow us to paint the top of the metal railing on one side of the site.  It's already black so can't see that as an issue.  They might baulk at warning signs on the 'public' side of the railing though - it's a chestnut avenue into the park so appearance is important again.  :-\

I think we can do a bit more with defensive planting.  The hedgerow is set back from the railing so although it screens the view in, it doesn't stop climbers.  Maybe we need to do the brambles threaded through the railings, or at least hard up against the railings.

You're right we just have to keep on keeping on.  When they break in we repair it until the next time.  It just bothers me that this kind of low level crime isn't actually regarded as crime any more.  When did that all change?

We have also had a spate of thefts of produce (my gooseberries included) by a plotholder or plotholders.  A few weeks ago the plotholder I suspected of taking my gooseberries was reported for picking cultivated blackberries on someone else's plot.  Subsequent investigation by the committee established that the plotholder didn't have permission to take them.  So, have they been evicted?  No.  They're getting a slapped wrist letter advising them 'to be very cautious when picking produce from other plots'.  Where's the hair-tearing-out emoticon when you need it??!! 

[elvis2003]

so sorry to hear of yet more troubles ceres  :-\ must be so frustrating for you all (hugs)
hope the slapped wrist letter is enough to stop those guilty doing same again

[thifasmom]

Where's the hair-tearing-out emoticon when you need it??!! 

here you go, you certainly need it :(

[Squash64]

So sorry to hear about your break-in Ceres. 

After it happened to our site we decided to use the anti-vandal paint on the fence and a group of plotholders got together to do it.  Personally, I don't think it would put people off climbing over if they were determined to do it but it gave us a good excuse for a barbecue when we'd finished painting  ;). 

We have also planted more thorny/spiney plants near the fence.  I think Shirl's idea of the bramble threaded through the fence is good.  Nature's barbed wire might work better than the paint.

[SMP1704]

That's an idea - depends on the aspect but at the easier access points e.g. where there is street furniture to aid climbing could you plant same hawthorne on the inside of the wall?

My investigations on this natural barbed wire tell me this costs about £30 for 20 young plants (18") -the same price as a tin of anti climb paint...........

[Unwashed]

You can't do better than blackthorn, eg 500 sets for £157.25, so you're looking at around £1500 to put a hedge around the inside of the whole site.

I'm staggered that a produce theif gets a slap wrist.  Was he just picking one or two to eat?