[sarajane]

Following on from the post 'I've been robbed' by Malcw could anyone recommend an easy to install CCTV or similar installation for the bottom of our garden.

Our plot is at the bottom of our garden which is fantastic to just open the gate but we have had lots of veg stolen over the years and twice our house and garage have been burgled by access from the site and we know there has been someone in the garden on at least 2 more occasions.

The dog has been asking to go out and barking in the garden every night recently which is usually a sign there is someone roaming around out there.  When the evenings are balmy as they have been recently there are signs of youngsters smoking 'pot' in the sheds out there in spite of a high fence and gate.  (unfortunately a very small minority of the plot holders do not lock the gate and say 'well the kids are going to get in anyway, what's the point in locking it' but that's another story...)

I don't like to say I'm neurotic but we have a B and Q alarm in the garden that sounds in the house if there is someone or something in the garden but I feel like we need a more sophisticated system.  I've checked with the council and we are allowed to CCTV the plot but we really are not technologically minded so would appreciate any ideas from you clever peeps out there to help protect our plot but more importantly our home.

[mjpalin]

I would think something like this might do the job - activated by movement, battery operated (assumed no power on the plot) has a setting to record at night

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Swann-OutbackCam-Outdoor-Detector-Recorder/dp/B008YFVPUM/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1404342167&sr=8-1&keywords=battery+cctv

I'm sure there are plenty of other similar ones on the market, and that someone with experience may be along shortly! 

[Lardman]

I have a wired swann CCTV system here - the live feeds are very good but the recorded not so much. It depends on what you want the CCTV for - just to let you see someone is stealing your stuff or to identify them.

What sort of distances are you looking at ? Even the cheap system I have here will sow someone / something moving around at 30ft in the pitch black.

[Elm street]

If you have a Maplins store where you are then that is as good a place as any to ask, the staff are usually very helpful and knowledgeable.