Allotments 4 All

General => News => Topic started by: Squash64 on May 16, 2012, 14:21:14

Title: Break-in at Walsall Road
Post by: Squash64 on May 16, 2012, 14:21:14
I went over to feed the cats at 6.45 this morning and found that we had had yet another break-in.

They had broken the garage door
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broken into the pavilion
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broken into the stores

but worst of all..............

gone in our new greenhouse, removed the tops of the staging and thrown all my plants on the floor. :'(  :'(  :'(
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I had only just potted on my courgettes, pumpkins, squash, cucumbers and a few other things yesterday so they hadn't formed rootballs and all the compost and plants were all on the floor.  I could have cried.

The thieves had piled everything on to the car park but must have been disturbed because nothing has actually left the site.
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The police came and were very nice.  Forensics came and found a cigarette butt on the floor inside the pavilion, which is a no smoking area so there is a slight possibility that the thieves dropped it.

I've repotted all the plants that weren't damaged and Shirl and Tone helped me to take them over to a friend's greenhouse.  I won't be using the new one again.

Title: Re: Break-in at Walsall Road
Post by: Dopey on May 16, 2012, 14:38:21
I wont say what I think of the toe rags... family forum and all, but I sympathise with you, but dont let it get you down... the scum bags
I had some bad dealings with the next door neighbour on Monday, it involved 6 armed police turning up, and 4 unarmed police, I wont go in to the details of it all, but cops are good, they understand your feelings
Title: Re: Break-in at Walsall Road
Post by: gazza1960 on May 16, 2012, 14:46:14
Gutted for you as I know how hard everybody had worked together to get your GH up and running,from the looks of it scrap value metal is what was being chored so could be anybody I guess.

Sorry your plants got trashed,little comfort that you could salvage them,but hopefully they still grow on.

Bas****s..!!!!!!!!!!!!! should .......Oh never mind  !!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Sending you a hug  !!!!!!!!!!!!!!x

Gazza
Title: Re: Break-in at Walsall Road
Post by: mentallot on May 16, 2012, 15:02:48
Off topic but along the lines of the police help !

Some years ago we loaned a pony out. To cut a long story short the pony was then moved on to a bunch of "travellers", and not well looked after. After a call from the RSPCA and some research with landowner and some calls to the local police, we went up to collect the pony. Without the police, the armed response unit and a couple of vans of dog handlers there's no chance we would have got the pony or its unborn foal out.

20 kids following you around screaming "Feck! why are you stealing my pony" in your face and a bunch of unpleasant adults aggresively demanding "where the feck do you live" is a little unsettling

Many thanks boys and girls in blue :)
Title: Re: Break-in at Walsall Road
Post by: Poppy Mole on May 16, 2012, 15:31:50
I feel so sorry for you. Just WHY do these people do such things?? I'm sorry if it upsets anyone but bring back proper discipline in schools & the home & teach children respect. I hope the police catch up with them & make them do a lot of community gardening perhaps that will make them realise just what upset their actions caused.
Title: Re: Break-in at Walsall Road
Post by: lorna on May 16, 2012, 15:34:58
Yet another sad story of people (that is polite) destroying things that honest people work so hard for. So sorry to hear this.Glad you had Shirl and Tone to give you a hand. Lets hope they catch the rat bags.
Title: Re: Break-in at Walsall Road
Post by: macmac on May 16, 2012, 15:48:22
So sorry to hear this Betty what "slugs" they are  >:(
Maybe the cigarette might help,when our garage at home was broken into the lowlife cut himself on the window he carefully removed,the spot of blood he left behind was matched on the D.N.A. data base and he got 28 days.
Quite funny really ,it must have taken him ages to get the glass out but the minute he got inside the alarms went off  ;D ;D;and I'm surprised he didn't break his neck as the garage is such a mess ;D ;D ;D He'd never have found the good stuff 'cos there is so much rubbish in there  ;D ;D ;D
I'm making light of our breakin as he did little damage and didn't take anything.
Your plants are precious we all know the hard work that goes into gardening,'hope they catch 'em
xx
Title: Re: Break-in at Walsall Road
Post by: peanuts on May 16, 2012, 16:12:02
Just so very sorry, Betty.  "I could have cried" - A'm amazed you didn't.  I would have done.  Seeing wilful or even just storm damage to plants lovingly grown really hurts.
Don't give up.  I know you won't.  You deserve all the support you can get, and trying again is the best example you can give to all your fellow allotmenteers
Title: Re: Break-in at Walsall Road
Post by: shirlton on May 16, 2012, 17:10:24
They had been in our one shed at the one corner of the site, taken the steps that we found dumped at the gate and they had also been over to far side of the site, taken our wheelbarrow to carry the bloke next doors double glazing from his make do GH over to the pavilion.
All the bric a brac that had been sorted and put into the boxes for the next open day had been tipped off the shelves in the stores. All in a heap.
They didn't take any tools from the sheds, but cut through one of the legs on our new fruit cage. Someone had swung on our posh wilkies arch and it was all twisted.
Just makes you feel sick. Poor Betty had spent hours potting all her plants up.
Would I like to get my hands on em??????    *&%*$"
Title: Re: Break-in at Walsall Road
Post by: galina on May 16, 2012, 17:31:49
I am so very sorry to hear about this Betty.  Wish I was there to give you a big hug - I am so glad you had Shirl and Tone there.  Not again.

*fatherless children*!!!

Another hug for you.
Title: Re: Break-in at Walsall Road
Post by: Jeannine on May 16, 2012, 17:38:01
There are no words I can say, except I am so very sorry XX Jeannine
Title: Re: Break-in at Walsall Road
Post by: pete JB on May 16, 2012, 17:40:18
Betty,

So sorry to hear of this. I`m quite angry sitting at the computer right now !
These individuals are absolute scumbags in my opinion.
I know how much effort and love goes into an allotment so I`m really feeling for you .

Kind regards

Pete
Title: Re: Break-in at Walsall Road
Post by: cambourne7 on May 16, 2012, 18:26:47
i want to swear :( mindless!!! did they take much stuff?
Title: Re: Break-in at Walsall Road
Post by: pumkinlover on May 16, 2012, 18:40:54
PM sent
Title: Re: Break-in at Walsall Road
Post by: manicscousers on May 16, 2012, 18:43:56
Such a shame for you all, hope your seedlings survive x
Title: Re: Break-in at Walsall Road
Post by: Squash64 on May 16, 2012, 19:01:25
Thanks everyone, it's so good to have a place like this where people understand.

As far as we know, nothing at all was removed from the site.  They piled everything up on the car park as though they were waiting for transport to arrive.  I can only assume that they were disturbed, maybe by someone coming very early to water their greenhouse, who knows?

The Council were very good and sent some men out to repair the garage door and put new fittings on the pavilion door so we can lock them.  However, it seems pointless locking them only for them to be smashed open again so we are going to just close the doors but not lock them.  We keep things like tea, coffee, sugar etc. in the kitchen so we'll just have to take a chance with them.  At least they didn't steal the cat food this time, but they did take the toilet paper!

I was so happy to know that there was such a lot of space in the greenhouse for all my seedlings, and I do have LOTS.  Now, I will be borrowing space in plot holders' greenhouses again. 
Title: Re: Break-in at Walsall Road
Post by: Digeroo on May 16, 2012, 19:55:48
Quotebut they did take the toilet paper!


Perhaps the little sh*ts need it.

I cried one year that mice ate my courgette seedlings.  I would have really had floods if some grotty had vandalised them.





Title: Re: Break-in at Walsall Road
Post by: cornykev on May 16, 2012, 21:16:13
Your inbox is full Betty.    ::)
Title: Re: Break-in at Walsall Road
Post by: elvis2003 on May 16, 2012, 21:45:44
so very sorry to read this betty,and your precious greenhouse too,hope you can fall back in love with it again in time, big hugs to you all xxxxx
Title: Re: Break-in at Walsall Road
Post by: Squash64 on May 16, 2012, 22:01:28
Quote from: cornykev on May 16, 2012, 21:16:13
Your inbox is full Betty.    ::)

Just sorted it Kev,
Title: Re: Break-in at Walsall Road
Post by: Aden Roller on May 17, 2012, 00:47:36
If this had happened to me I'd be so hopping mad I think it'd take several weeks before I'd dare put anything onto the forum.

A really sickening totally mindless act of selfish vandalism. What on earth were they after or was it just a case of pure thrill seeking by creatures with no imagination or feelings for others?

Unfortunately the law would not react kindly if the perpetrators were given what they truly deserve!

I hope the actions of these yobs doesn't spoil your future plans and enjoyment.

It would be a second Christmas for us all if they were caught!
Title: Re: Break-in at Walsall Road
Post by: shirlton on May 17, 2012, 06:56:00
If they catch them they just let them off with a slapped hand. Problem is the criminals know this.
I wonder just how long we have to put up with these B*****ds ruining our lives.
Title: Re: Break-in at Walsall Road
Post by: Flighty on May 17, 2012, 07:33:17
I sympathise, and it's so disheartening when it happens.
I could understand, but in no way condone, it if they caused minimal damage and just stole items that were obviously resalable.
It's the mindless wanton destruction that makes me consider them to be scum.   
Title: Re: Break-in at Walsall Road
Post by: gazza1960 on May 17, 2012, 07:47:28
http://www.henrys.co.uk/cctv/dummy.htm

As an allotment tenant I spoke to our officer months ago after repeated breakins and damage to our GH and shed contents and Steve got some of these.(above) and mounted them on a scaffle pole above his plot x 2 aiming in the general direction of the gate and his chickens .

"We " have not had any other break ins since,whether thats just lucky or the CCTV signs on the gate plus the visual deterrent has made a difference to the little so*s coming back.

He even got the council to pay half for the battery operated versions as a gesture as I think they too were fed up with us reporting damage.

Just an idea anyway  !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Gazza
Title: Re: Break-in at Walsall Road
Post by: Ellen K on May 17, 2012, 10:15:39
Hope you are both feeling a bit better this morning, as others have said: it's people looking for scrap.  We had a similar break in at the end of last year - they took spades and also the padlocks they cut off the sheds with bolt cutters.

Even if you dont want to risk the GH for baby plants, you could still use it for chillis and the like in pots.  

Dont let it get you down.

xx
Title: Re: Break-in at Walsall Road
Post by: brown thumb on May 17, 2012, 16:09:19
i had the same happen to me one year .all the seedlings knocked over, glass broken in the greenhouse , and they stamped on the water butt taps splitting the sides and rendered them useless and i did cry   ::) ::) moved home  not because of this and allotments and had no trouble here thank goodness