Pot plant crime increase

POT plant crimes have increased across the district as the warmer weather arrives.
During the past week large pot plants and hanging baskets have been stolen from private houses.
Thieves arrive at the houses in transit style vehicles to steal pots and plants from people's front gardens.
Police said thieves are looking for mature hanging baskets and large pot plants, with some stolen valued at more than £200.
An Epping Forest District police spokeswoman said: "There are very few ways in which you can secure a large terracotta pot to the floor, if you chain hanging baskets to their brackets, past offences have shown that the thieves may simply pull the brackets from the wall causing more damage.
"The best advice I can give is not to display such items where passing thieves will be able to see them from the highway.
"If you have valuable pots and hanging baskets, please display them in the back garden.
"The thieves know that there is big money to be made in stolen pot plants, hanging baskets, garden furniture, lawn mowers and other gardening equipment at this time of the year."

(Reproduced from the Epping Forest Guardian 30th April)

GARDIEN TIP: You can secure medium sized shrubs and trees using a Rootball Anchor, see http://www.garden-security.co.uk/Rootball-Anchor.aspx