Mrs Frugal Posted August 7, 2008 Share Posted August 7, 2008 We got down to the allotment tonight to discover that there's been a break in . FIL's shed has been ransacked and has been left in a horrible mess. He doesn't think that any of his tools etc have been stolen though luckily. Fortunately the only damage to crops has been to 3 of my lovely sunflowers which have been broken down and a courgette plant has been trampled but apparently 8 sheds were broken into last night and it was children. My boys would never dream of doing any damage to anything. Makes you so angry that others would, doesn't it. I'm disappointed to have lost the lovely sunflowers as they were going to be food for the garden birds over the winter but I'm thankful nothing else was damaged. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blackrocksrock Posted August 7, 2008 Share Posted August 7, 2008 Oh no how sad is it that children would do such a thing - we were cheeky monkeys when we were young but did not do any harm to anyone or anything. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted August 7, 2008 Share Posted August 7, 2008 I can't say what I really want to say on here, suffice to say I'm so sorry Kate, you're lucky you don't keep your girls on the lottie eh!? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
abwsco Posted August 7, 2008 Share Posted August 7, 2008 So sorry I keep reading more and more about allotment breakins and also killing of animals on them Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Egluntyne Posted August 7, 2008 Share Posted August 7, 2008 How dreadful. I'm sorry to read about it, Kate. Do these children's parents not care two hoots about what they are doing, where they are going or who they are with? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mrs Frugal Posted August 8, 2008 Author Share Posted August 8, 2008 I suspect that the children were teenagers by the way that FIL's padlock had been wrenched off his shed with a gardening fork he'd left in his greenhouse. It must have taken some strength to do that. They got in over railings as our allotment is right at the bottom of the plot next to the water meadows and the only real damage they've inflicted is when they've broken into the sheds on their way through the allotment looking for anything worth stealing. They've not touched any gardening tools so appear to have been looking for radios/stereos/money etc but have left the sheds in chaos. FIL keeps dried milk and sugar there for his flask of tea and they've emptied it all over the floor along with his tins of saved seeds etc. We'll nip down tomorrow and see if we can give him a hand sorting out the mess. There are lots of greenhouses on the allotment but thankfully they didn't smash any of those - I suppose that the noise would have alerted the people in the surrounding houses though. I am so glad my boys are stay at home boys, content to play on their computers instead of running rampage like that . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Karen & co. Posted August 8, 2008 Share Posted August 8, 2008 Oh no I really don't understand anyone taking something that doesn't belong to them And if they did find money or stereos do their parnets not want to know where or how they got it I'm glad there wasn't too much damage, but any is too much Karen x Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chickencam Posted August 8, 2008 Share Posted August 8, 2008 This is always a worry when you have an allotment. We had a spate of break in's in the first few years that we were there, but recently we have been ok. One of the older allotment holders reckons he had some onions stolen a few weeks back. It would break my heart to have crops ransacked, if items were stolen for food i could accept it better but just mindless damage is so hard to understand. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mrs Frugal Posted August 8, 2008 Author Share Posted August 8, 2008 That's exactly how I felt when I saw the lovely big sunflowers just broken down needlessly. They weren't in the way and the flower heads were just starting to open up. They'd have made great food for the greenfinches and blue tits over winter but they've gone to waste now. I think that's probably more upsetting than the mess in the shed as that can be sorted out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nicola H Posted August 8, 2008 Share Posted August 8, 2008 Oh Kate i am so sorry, I do hope you manage to sort out your FIL shed I just hope the young thugs get their comeupppence......... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Couperman Posted August 8, 2008 Share Posted August 8, 2008 They are obviously as thick as a whale omlette. What exactly did they expect to find in an allotment shed? The Crown Jewels perhaps, life savings, plasma telly, the latest XBox? The only things anyone with a brain would expect to find have been left behind. And oh what fun to trample on plants. Sad really, when the best they can do is to destroy someone elses hard work. Retarded vandals is what they are, born without the capacity to outwit a used tea bag. I hope your FIL is not too upset about it. Kev. edited:spelllung Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ain't Nobody Here Posted August 8, 2008 Share Posted August 8, 2008 How awful . It's hard to imagine what goes through the "brain" of people like that . Why destroy things if you don't find anything valuable? What's the point of spilling seeds and coffee ? Any chance of finding out which kids it was? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mrs Frugal Posted August 8, 2008 Author Share Posted August 8, 2008 The Police are involved but whether they'll find any useful information though, I don't know. I hope your FIL is not too upset about it. He's OK thanks, Kev. He's relieved that none of his tools or his wheelbarrow were stolen though as the mess can be cleared up. Everytime we go down to the allotment, he tells us that he had these things postcoded by the police . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chickenanne Posted August 8, 2008 Share Posted August 8, 2008 That's terrible. I really do wonder what the parents think kids are up to in the evenings, just "hanging about the park" or wherever - at 15 do parents really think they're playing on the swings???! . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TAJ Posted August 10, 2008 Share Posted August 10, 2008 I know exactly how you feel we had 4 break-ins on the allotment last year, even losing a wheelbarrow that was a birthday present 3 days old. At one point they smashed all the greenhouses on the site and cut off people's tomato plants at the roots. We all made sure each case was reported by each allotment holder to the police - they did eventually arest someone - but usually we can expect at least one break-in a year and at least one shed to be burnt down on the site It is so heart breaking after all the work you put in. Tracy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Christian Posted August 10, 2008 Share Posted August 10, 2008 Sorry to hear that Kate. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
theherd123 Posted August 10, 2008 Share Posted August 10, 2008 Ive just caught up with this. Im really sorry to hear what has happened Some people seem to think its ok to let their children roam the streets and bring themselves up without guidance or morals - doesnt it make you mad?! I do hope you managed to clear everything up Kate. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cate in NZ Posted August 12, 2008 Share Posted August 12, 2008 Yikes, I don't get this far down the forum often , and have only just caught up with this. How horrible for FIL, and what an annoying bit of mindless vandalism by the young thugs involved . I hope you've all managed to get things cleared up now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chelsea Posted August 12, 2008 Share Posted August 12, 2008 sorry to hear about that Kate, its not uncommon though unfortunately. Hubby's shed on our allotment was broken into earlier in the year, its a brand new shed and they took the contents (werent worth much, but even so) they took his gas camping cooker and some bits and bobs. We are in a rural sleepy village with very little crime, I would imagine it could have been someone passing through. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WitchHazel Posted August 16, 2008 Share Posted August 16, 2008 I;m so sorry to hear about this Kate. It makes me so angry, and impotent. And then I find I have extreme right wing views when it comes to punishments and deterrents. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mrsallen08 Posted August 18, 2008 Share Posted August 18, 2008 Hiya Kate Really sorry for what has happened to you and family. Mindless violence really makes my blood boil and I fail to understand why anyone child/teen/adult could do the things they often do. Hopefully now most damage is sorted, do you have a special constable doing walk rounds in your area? Sometimes these can be more useful/available than the actual fulltime forces. Just an idea. Heather Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mrs Frugal Posted August 18, 2008 Author Share Posted August 18, 2008 Hi Heather, Yes we do have a special constable now who walks round all the allotments in the area each night and that will hopefully deter the hooligans. All the sheds also have bright yellow stickers on saying that the contents have been postcoded to thwart theft so I hope that will help too. The mess has just about been cleared up now, thanks. FIL is retired and spends all day, every day come rain or shine at the allotment as it's his life really so he's managed to sort out the chaos that was in his shed and he and his friends have also found some of the tools the yobs threw into the long grass in the neighbouring field too so we seem to be getting back to normal again . Chelsea - sorry to hear that you've had the same thing happen. It's horrible when you realise what they've done, isn't it. I hope that your OH has managed to either find or replace the things they took now? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mrs Frugal Posted February 28, 2009 Author Share Posted February 28, 2009 Would you believe it, they've done it again . F-in-L phoned this morning to say that they've broken into his shed again, stolen some knives - can't have been anything worth nicking as they'd only be pruning knives - and have run about all over our onions and garlic which were doing really well . LSH has just gone down there to take a look as I'm waiting in for a phone call but that's twice in less than 6 months . I bet the council don't do anything to bump up security there either! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Egluntyne Posted February 28, 2009 Share Posted February 28, 2009 Oh no! How disappointing. All that hard work for nothing. I hope they get caught this time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mrs Frugal Posted February 28, 2009 Author Share Posted February 28, 2009 I'll bet that they don't . LSH has just got back and says it's not too bad, thank goodness. The plants will probably survive. It could have been a lot worse if we'd been further into the year with more things planted. Apparently they've kicked over wire fences down there too. Little blighters ! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
