Topic: Donnington Break-In

[Fayzie]

Here we go again - we finally managed to get the council to put razor wire up around the vulnerable parts of the site and then our local bowling club demanded they were removed as it was unsightly.  Within 2 days 5 sheds have been broken in to (nothing taken) and fencing and netting has been ripped and torn - leaving free food for all the local pigeons.

We seem to be banging our heads against a brick wall as every time we manage to find some way of securing the site our local treasurer of the bowling club rears his ugly head and we are left paying for it!!

The Bowling Club, green areas and allotments are all run by the local Parish Council on behalf of the Duke of Sutherland Estate but as several members of the Council are also in the Bowling Club it seems our hands are tied.

[Squash64]

Has the bowling club been broken in to too?
They don't seem to have much understanding of your problem so I would guess not.

[shirlton]

I am sure that if the council deemed it necessary to put razor wire around then how come the bowling club can over ride them. Another case of using their position to get what they want .
It would do them good to have their precious bowling green vandalised

[shirlton]

It would do them good to have their precious bowling green vandalised.(quote in my previous post)


I am not in any way inferring that you should vandalise their bowling green. Sorry if anyone got the impression that I inferred this action in my prevous post

[goodlife]

Shirley..your quote was perfectly understood and I agree, if if were to happen it would propably open their eyes what others have to suffer.
Like their view.. ::)..is more important than other property and crops.. >:(

I think that all sport green should be turned under food production..bowling greens, football fields, golf courses, racing tracks..and we would have quite a lot of food production back in this country and all that feed and water would not be wasted for keeping grass green.. ::)
Sorry...I'm starting to rant.. :-X ;D

[pumkinlover]

I think we know that you are not recomending it as a course of action Shirl ;)
it seems very unfair that the breakins happen to the allotment site and the bowling club committee  cannot be more empathetic because they seem to be very lucky in not being targeted as well.
The ability to think what it life is like for someone else is sadly lacking a lot of the time.

sorry - the heat is getting to me now!! :)

[Fayzie]

Thanks for all the support guys - it seems the bowling club treasurer has a personal vendetta - my Uncle is a member of the club and he has reported that everyone was happy with the wire are it stopped kids getting in to the bowling green but it seems the Man at the top has too many people in his back pocket and if he doesn't like it, it goes!!!

Worse is he is an old neighbour of my Mum's family and he seems to have been up himself since he was young (he's in late 60's now).  

Anyway we have planted gorse around the inside of the security fencing along with a chicken wire fence to stop our kids getting at it.  We have also all put together and bought motion and tamper proof padlocks so the noise would wake the dead if more than one of them go off  :o

[Squash64]

We have also all put together and bought motion and tamper proof padlocks so the noise would wake the dead if more than one of them go off  :o

Would you tell us a bit more about these please?

[Fayzie]

We have also all put together and bought motion and tamper proof padlocks so the noise would wake the dead if more than one of them go off  :o

Would you tell us a bit more about these please?

You can buy them off ebay for £9.95 each they are tamper proof and if anyone tries to tug at the door the motion sets them off and they sound a 110 db alarm.  If your shed door has door holders top and bottom and does not shake much in the wind they are perfect.  They have a long-life battery which can not be got at if the padlock if closed.  They sell the mostly for motorbike chains but they are brilliant on sheds.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/ALARM-PADLOCK-SECURITY-SIREN-GARAGE-SHED-HOME-LOCK-/230603157053?pt=UK_HaG_Lock_Safes_GL&hash=item35b104ee3d

[Squash64]

Thanks Fayzie, I've forwarded the link to another member of our committee. 

[Squash64]

Fayzie, the chap I sent the link to wants to know if these alarms detect movement (like our cats) or is it only if they or whatever they are attached to is moved?  I told him that I thought it was the latter but I said I would ask you to be sure. 

[manicscousers]

We have one, we have been told if neighbours complain about the noise, we can get fined , don't see how as it only goes off if thedoor is tampered with  ::)

[Fayzie]

Mines arrived in post today - they are loud  :o,  They beep 3 times as a warning if the lock is tampered with or moved sharply - then if tampered with again they go off for a further 10 seconds, then again the give a continuous alarm, if left alone they reset themselves - Handy!!

I had my daughter (19 months) testing it and we found it takes quite a bit of wrestling to set them off so normal movement on shed door movement should be fine especially if the door has holders top and bottom.

You can change the way the shackle is on the top to change from alarm to normal padlock.

We have one, we have been told if neighbours complain about the noise, we can get fined , don't see how as it only goes off if thedoor is tampered with  ::)

Also our local CSO has informed us that we will not be fined for an alarm going off, so long as they do not go off for long periods of time, but one of the ladies that lives next to our plot has a list of numbers she can phone if any alarms go off anyway.  ;D

[Squash64]

I think we will try one of these,  we don't have any very close neighbours as we are inside a park but at least it might scare the burglars off.

We've had all sorts of suggestions after our last break-in a couple of weeks ago, but something like this lock is more sensible than most of them. ::)

[Rosscolfc]

Hi I'm new to Donnington Allotments plot 19

I want to get intouch with my fellow allotmenteers - one reason is I can get loads of free manure and want to know if anyone wants to share it, and where to get it put.

[pumkinlover]

Hi Rosscolf and  welcome to the  forum.
You might want to contact your committee, they might have a notice board or e-mail contact list. You will be popular with your allotment friends