[digby]

I was listening to the radio yesterday morning and Sarah Kennedy was doing the papers bit.  Apparently up north there have been increasing instances of people raiding allotments for food, particularly potatoes and onions at the moment, where people are struggling more to put food on the table with the credit crunch.

Has anyone suffered from this recently, and how do you feel about this making the national press - my feeling was 'my allotment has been fine up until now, don't give the rest of the country ideas.' - naturally alongside feelings of 'B******ds leave our hard work alone and go and grow your own.'

[birmancats]

In my first year at the allotment I had all my carrots and swedes  and some of the potatoes taken over night.  Who needs a 16 foot row of carrots all at once.  To add insult to injury they left all the trimmings in a neat row.  Site security was upped a little, a padlock on the gate! but the following year all the gooseberries and other berries went.  This is my third year and to be honest with the work that goes into it as I work full time and have a weekend job to keep things afloat at the moment, having stuff stolen this year will probably make me consider giving up.  People see free food not the cost of the plot, seeds, time and effort etc etc.  To have to go and buy what has been stolen is a real kick in the teeth.    :x

[vineweevil1]

A guy two plots down from me had his pes pinched a few days ago.   It is our first year and I would be devastated if our hard work was stolen.

[pushrod]

My initial reaction was "it's a sign of the times" but TBH i think it has always gone on. I remember, as a small boy in the north east, people used to keep dogs on the allotments to protect pigeon lofts and their prize leeks and onions. Sometimes people used to sleep on their lotties as it got near show time to stop theft and vandalism.

[peapod]

one of our boys had ten onions nicked the other night, he was gutted..really angry. The funny thing is he was saying about the increase of veg being taken from allotments due to the increased food prices that very day.  The rest of the allotments are well fenced (including mine) and apparently aways have been, but his isnt, and right next to the car park too.  He wants to set up some kind of patrol over the summer and I cant blame him.  And he also feels forced to fence his allotment which he never wanted to do  :cry:

Paula

[p00rstudent]

fortuneatly the only time my plot has been raided (albeit i have only had it 6 weeks) is when the girlfriend and my mum joined my on the plot to "help out" and wound up sitting in a chair munching on the few strawberrys taht had just ripenend.

[hectic]

If you turn to Radio 2 they are talking about it now!

[Porffor]

There was a bit on the news this morning on TV too, but sadly i didn't catch it.

It is something that was discussed over food shortages in spain on here too..
And something i've thought of even though i grow in my back garden.

[Ruby Red]

To be honest I cant see the reason being that they are being stolen because people cant afford to buy fruit and veg. The type who would steal I dont think are the type to sit down and eat a evening meal with 3 veg. I heard they were being stolen to be sold and /or stolen by certain types .For the sake of not arguing with anyone I wont mention on here but it could be the same type who are pinching the lead and alluminium at the moment. And , yes , I find it irresponsible to broadcast this sort of news as it gives others ideas.

[Sadgit]

but the following year all the gooseberries and other berries went.  

you sure it wasn't them damn pigeons?

I try not to listen about the veg thieves as it only annoys me and makes me want to stop.

And , yes , I find it irresponsible to broadcast this sort of news as it gives others ideas.

100% agree

[fletch]

And , yes , I find it irresponsible to broadcast this sort of news as it gives others ideas.

Totally agree too.

My plot is on a set of privately owned allotments and are tucked out of the way. I was only saying to a friend yesterday that I'm dreading the day the local scrotage discover them as I'm sure my produce would get nicked, if not vandalised.

And I'm certainly not putting up fences and gates. I'd rather pack it in.

[digby]

To be honest I cant see the reason being that they are being stolen because people cant afford to buy fruit and veg. The type who would steal I dont think are the type to sit down and eat a evening meal with 3 veg. I heard they were being stolen to be sold and /or stolen by certain types .For the sake of not arguing with anyone I wont mention on here but it could be the same type who are pinching the lead and alluminium at the moment. And , yes , I find it irresponsible to broadcast this sort of news as it gives others ideas.

I must admit, I hadn't even considered stolen to sell - that would explain Birmancat's 16ft of Carrots being taken, I was thinking along the foraging for food lines.

[Brian_of_Bozeat]

To be honest I cant see the reason being that they are being stolen because people cant afford to buy fruit and veg. The type who would steal I dont think are the type to sit down and eat a evening meal with 3 veg. I heard they were being stolen to be sold and /or stolen by certain types .For the sake of not arguing with anyone I wont mention on here but it could be the same type who are pinching the lead and alluminium at the moment. And , yes , I find it irresponsible to broadcast this sort of news as it gives others ideas.

I'm thinking - "Rymes with Hippo's"

They stole my car, while I was unloading it, 30 yds inside the company gates! :evil:

[Zak the Rabbit]

I heard they were being stolen to be sold and /or stolen by certain types .For the sake of not arguing with anyone I wont mention on here but it could be the same type who are pinching the lead and alluminium at the moment.

that makes more sense to me. People who nick stuff like this dont do it because there short of a few bob to buy some spuds. Theres a big market for veg boxes amongst poncy city types who just buy them to show off at their dinner parties that they are 'organic', and wont think about where the veg comes from. I think its being nicked to supply that market.
As for the aluminium, i knew that would happen - just after we replaced all the stolen copper earthing tapes at work with aluminium to stop the theives  :twisted:  :evil:

[jack russell]

I would be devastated if it happened to me also.

But if it does I will not put it down to Gypsies alone,  as there are bad people in all of our society and they are all as greedy to make a few quid as the other. :evil:

touch wood