All spuds stolen !!!!!

[antipodes]

Went to the plot yesterday to be greeted with a potato patch that looked decidedly bizarre. The plants were all lying down and the ground was disturbed.  An animal I thought? Then on closer inspection I realised that the potatoes had been lifted...
Then I went to see my neighbour who went and had a look - 12 of hers had been lifted too. Other neighbour - his whole crop. The Turkish people two plots down - a whole row... my neighbour Christine, all her spuds too.
The thieving bardstards!!!!   About half the plots had been visited and all the spuds nicked!!! Spuds of all thing! I was so annoyed, they were lovely King Edwards and I was just about to start lifting them to plant my cabbages in their place.   I turned the whole patch over and got a small box full as they had not dug very deep. But three quarters have been stolen. Fortunately they did not damage too much the other plants around them.  Culprits seem to be the Roma gypsies that camp not too far : the other allotments that are closer to them say that they have had things stolen all the time, starting funnily enough when they arrived.

Honestly, if I thought people were going hungry I would not grudge giving them food. but potatoes? That sell at about 4 quid for 10 kilos if you get a supermarket special?
What next, will they comeback when the tomatoes are ripe, or the onions?
As my plot is now smaller I hadn't planted so many potatoes so I was really looking forward to eating them.

[antipodes]

[squeezyjohn]

That's awful antipodes ... I'm so sorry - theft of any kind is horrible, but of something you've grown yourself and invested time in always seems so much more personal and intrusive.

Whatever the probabilities - you can't be absolutely sure that it's the Roma guys until there's direct evidence proving it ... it's easy to get caught out harbouring suspicions that way as I have found out to my cost in the past! 

Best just to be angry that someone has nicked your hard earned crop and try to do something to make sure it doesn't happen again (choose a known plant, inject some potatoes with strong laxatives and re-bury the potatoes just under the surface ???)

[galina]

So sorry to hear this.  Stealing from the supermarket is one thing - stealing from a gardener's pride and joy makes it much worse.  It's personal.  It's not just the loss of your spuds, but the disrespect of the work that has gone into producing a good crop of potatoes.     

And it doesn't really make it much better that you are not the only one.  Glad you found at least a few potatoes.  Is there any way you could replant the plants and hope for a few more tubers down the line?   

[Paulines7]

I am so sorry to hear that Antipodes. 

Is there any way in which someone could keep watch in a shed perhaps and then ring the gendarmerie if anyone appears and starts digging?  Maybe take it in turns to keep watch.  Now that someone has got away with it, they will probably come back for more.  Any CCTV footage near the allotments? 

It couldn't have been wild pigs could it?  I believe they dig up potatoes. 

[Borlotti]

So sorry to hear that. 

[Silverleaf]

Oh no, I'm so sorry! :(

[antipodes]

Is there any way in which someone could keep watch in a shed perhaps and then ring the gendarmerie if anyone appears and starts digging?  Maybe take it in turns to keep watch.  Now that someone has got away with it, they will probably come back for more.  Any CCTV footage near the allotments? 

It couldn't have been wild pigs could it?  I believe they dig up potatoes. 

Our site is fenced in with quite a high fence so obviously there were a group of them, lifting each other over. can't be animals(and I don't think they would have carefully just nicked the spuds and nothing else). I want to suggest to the committee a spotlight with a movement detector. it may deter them. There are houses at the top of the site but not down the bottom that backs onto the park. We do not have as much CCTV in France as in the UK.

Whatever the probabilities - you can't be absolutely sure that it's the Roma guys until there's direct evidence proving it ... it's easy to get caught out harbouring suspicions that way as I have found out to my cost in the past! 

This is true but unfortunately other incidents in our area have turned out to be caused by this population. Our local criminals are lads in hoodies that mostly steal cars or push drugs - I find it unlikely that they would even know where a spud comes from. However you are right, even though we suspect a certain group, we cannot be sure. It seems to have happened Saturday night.
Other possibility is a person from the site.... who would know what to look for. That's not a nicer thought to have.
Dunno how they managed to get on and off of my plot, it's practically a death trap at the best of times, overcrowded, full of poking up sticks and bits of wood!!!

[Mikeakabigman]

Very sorry to read this, how very disappointing.

[peanuts]

So very sorry,  Antipodes, that is just horrible, whoever did it.

[ancellsfarmer]

Would suggest a community reporting protest with all your confederates together going to the police and if I understand French local government correctly,the Maire. They will know where the likely culprits are,and it  may just be the excuse/reason they are waiting for to move them out.
Otherwise,get a rota up to monitor the plot, day break to breakfast time, and twilight into dark. Good luck. Its as bad as rustling, and should carry the traditional penalty!

[antipodes]

I will see if our site secretary has reported the thefts to the town council. Unfortunately our site is a little isolated so you can get in unnoticed if you jump the fence. Silly thing is that there are people there almost all the time in this season, most gardeners being retired. they must have come overnight with torches. I am surprised that they didn't take other things, but no, seems to just have been potatoes, which is a little absurd.

[Obelixx]

I am so sorry about all your spuds.   It's a deradful feeling to know someone's nicked your produce.  I sometimes train squashes and pumpkins up the back fence which is builders' wire mesh and used to support a tayberry, a loganberry and occasional pumpkins.  One year some b**tard stole all the ones hanging on the outside, just as they were coming ripe for picking.   I couldn't believe it.

Now I make sure my pumpkins all hang inside the fence.   I hope your secretary has reported it and that further thefts do not occur.

[ACE]

You haven't got a Domino's pizza down the road have you

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2678891/Dominos-Pizza-staff-caught-buying-59p-bags-potato-wedges-nearby-Aldi-selling-customers-3-49.html

[gazza1960]

What a bummer,I did have some stealing from our plot,mainly fruit so  we had CCTV fitted to a pole overlooking 4 different  plots that were effected,they were not connected to the mains power but any would be thiefs didn't know and the following 2 seasons we had no losses.

Ok,it didn't catch the offenders but deterred future stealing.

Hope you catch the sodds

Gazza

[small]

Nothing practical to suggest other than a rota of night watching, but then what would you do if there was a determined gang of them - no produce is worth getting hurt for, or indeed inadvertently hurting the thieves. So sorry about your potatoes, though, you must be devastated. Hope your police can help.