Residents urged to weed out garden crime

GREEN-FINGERED residents from Bromsgrove are being encouraged to nip garden crime in the bud.
West Mercia Constabulary is urging residents to help them tackle garden crime by reviewing and improving shed security.
Spring often sees an increase in thefts from garden and allotment sheds, and the constabulary report that around 1,000 shed burglaries happen each year across the force area.
Garden security is part of the force’s ‘Safe & Secure’ campaign, which provides people with advice on how they can make their homes, gardens and cars more secure.
PC Ian White, the force’s crime risk manager, said: “While many people take steps to protect their homes and the property inside them, they often leave valuable equipment such as power tools, mowers, garden tools and bikes in sheds in their gardens.
“We are advising people to look at how to secure their gardens and allotments are and if necessary make some adjustments.”
Advice offered by the force includes keeping gates, fences and walls in good condition, growing defensive planting such as prickly plants near vulnerable areas like windows, fences, and drainpipes, and secure domestic sheds by using a closed shackle padlock.

(Reproduced from the Bromsgrove Advertiser 9th April)

GARDIEN TIP: Use a Neulock or Shed Bar to make your shed really secure, both available from www.garden-security.co.uk