[sarajane]

We've had a spate of shed breakins on the allotment site this weekend.  However the vandals last night smashed the lock of our coop  We found 3 of our 4 chooks still in the coop and some kind person had wedged it shut for us this morning.  Lilly was missing and we later found her in someones greenhouse, terrified and shaking.

How they all managed to survive the foxes that roam is a mystery as I presume the coop was open all night.

What goes through the minds of these vandals defeats me.

[ANHBUC]

Sounds like they were looking for rare breeds if they went to the bother of breaking in and not taking anything! 

We all despise the fox but atleast it shows its true colours, you could walk past the animal who broke into your coop and not know!!!

Glad all of your girls survived their ordeal.

[lmpd]

That's awful, I would be mortified if anything happened to mine, glad they are all alright!!!

[sarajane]

We think they were just mindless vandals judging by the amount of sheds and equipment that was trashed and unfortunately they may have thought it was 'fun' to terrorise our girls and let them out.

I just hope my OH doesn't find out their names as he will 'do time' if he gets his hands on them.  I'm just glad the girls are safe but there about 8 other coops on the site and we hope the louts do not return for a third night and think it's 'fun' to let out the others.

[Lindeggs]

Oooh I can also think of a lot of illegal and unproductive things I would like to do to people like that!     It's one thing to vandalise property, but another layer of awfulness when there are animals' lives at risk.

Good luck and I hope you don't have more break-ins.  I presume you have notified the police?

[Lewjam]

If they were doing Shed break ins i suspect they were just breaking into the coop to see if you stored any tools in there. 

Unlikely they had a clue about rare breeds, i bet they just thought if it is locked, there must be somthing good to have.

Scum bags really, very annoying, at least you got lucky this time and your hens made it through!

Lew

[shetan]

this is so disgusting!

our house backs on to allotments that in turn back on to railway tracks. the thugs used jump the barbed wire fencing from the tracks.

the allotment holders started a rota system where 6/7 people stayed behind to see when they came in and then called the police. they NEVER took the thugs on themselves and they also stayed together for safety in numbers. i think the police caught a couple of them with the allotment holder's help.

since then, hubby and i are honorary members and we walk our dogs through the allotments 3 or 4 times a weeks. (no one knows we own the sissy-ist shepherd in the country!).

[blackbelt]

Here is an idea! What about a game camera hit somewhere maybe in a tree or something. I have a few here around the homestead, not so much for thieves but for varmints.

[sarajane]

Yes, I did tell the police .  I have reported several break ins over the years and they are always helpful but always ask have you got CCTV.  Obviously the council are not going to supply this for any plots and it is a very large site.

Anyway, the girls seem no worse for their night out, eating and laying as normal.  Fingers crossed its a 'one off'.

[chuckie.egg]

Seems to be a lot of mindless idiots breaking into sheds on allotments, on ours recently they broke into sheds and stole the locks and the about 8 taps for the scrap, the lane was flooded as the water was pouring out all night. Nothing in the sheds was taken or any the birds disturbed. (Fortunately).

[Lindeggs]

The poilice around here never actively investigate break-ins like that, but they say they like to be told anyway.  They can put a better case for extra funding if they have records of crimes being committed! 

I once had my home broken into.   The burglar threw all my clothes out of the bedroom drawers looking for valuables, and left great muddy footprints on my best blouses!  A young constable came to see me and I showed him the footprints.

"This isn't CSI, Madam," he said. 

So he took my statement but wasn't remotely interested in footprints or fingerprints.  Made me think it's a miracle any burglars ever get caught!