[jaydig]

Over the past few weeks many allotments in our area have had their sheds broken into and many rotavators have been stolen. The thieves seem to be concentrating on rotavators as they are a high value item which can generate a fair amount of cash. The area covered has been from Worcester, Droitwich, Wychbold, and overnight in Bromsgrove.
They have cut off padlocks on almost every shed with bolt cutters and removed each and every rotavator they found. Fortunately I don't have one, and they didn't think my cheap little strimmer was worth stealing without the battery.
If anyone is offered a cheap second hand machine, please try to check it's provenance. There are many upset pensioners on our sites at the moment, some of whom will give up their plots because without the rotavators they cannot manage the digging, and they cannot afford to replace them.  If you are suspicious could you report this to the police. thanks

[snowdrops]

Really dreadful, goodness knows where they’re off loading to in these strange times.

[jaydig]

I just thought that it would be useful to alert all allotment tenants within the Worcestershire area in particular to the fact that this seems to be an organised gang, who obviously arrive with transport, and given that the method for breaking into all of the sheds wasn't consistent and happened in a very short period of time, that there are several of them working together. They obviously seem to have an outlet for these machines, and again it would be useful to know if anyone is offered what appears to be a dubious item at a knockdown price from a seller who wouldn't have a genuine reason to have owned one in the first place.  I was ok, I didn't lose anything, but I am so angry at the upset that has been caused to fellow, mostly elderly, plotholders that I thought I'd just put the information out there.
If nothing else, if you are all forewarned, it might prevent others from suffering the same losses.

[Yorkie]

How disheartening. 

It may not help with prevention, but it may help with recovery of items, to have property postmarked.  Our police offer something called Dot Peen marking, where solid items can have a postcode / house number (or plot number) engraved on the item in prominent places.  Might be worth investigating with your police?

[mrs bouquet]

I have a pen like that for marking valuables.  Fortunately, theft has never occurred.   But I feel more comfortable knowing I have done it.
There really are some "Toerags" about.     Would it be possible for your allotment owners, to club together a buy a communal second-hand one to share.    Mrs Bouquet

[Fairy Plotmother]

We are advised not to keep anything of high value in sheds. In years gone by petrol strimmers etc have gone missing from sheds broken into using bolt cutters.

[jaydig]

I always tell new tenants that it is advisable not to keep anything in your shed that you would be upset to lose, but I suppose rotavators are large pieces of equipment in some cases, and not possible to transport backwards and forward in a small car.
I only have a little Mantis Tiller, and that never stays on the plot because I couldn't manage without it if it got stolen.
A second hand one shared between tenants is a good idea, but again we don't have anywhere secure to store it and there would probably be very few willing to contribute to the cost of buying one. I did suggest that perhaps it might be better if those who really needed one simply hired one for a day instead of buying their own.

[MarkC]

We had a break in last week, also had bolt cutters to remove padlocks. Mine was done too, but all they lifted was a newish pair of shears which were in a bucket by the door. These were found abandoned later on the plots....and so I got them back. The lock was getting knackered anyway, and I had a new one at home so it's now on.

I think they were after rotavators, strimmers or similar. Our communal machinery is quite securely stored, and we didn't allow rotavators until recently, and the only guy who has one uses it communally for renovating plots. I wouldn't mess with him.....they didn't get it anyway, which is probably as well.

[jezza]

Hello theres a security tag system that costs about £20 to buy it's like a dog chip but goes down the handle bars  then it can be traced by mobile phone or a chip reader  jezza