'Cement gnomes to ground to stop thefts' say Sussex Police

Police have told theft-hit gardeners to cement gnomes and ornaments to the ground to stop them from being stolen.
Sussex Police has issued the advice to householders after a number of thefts across the county.
Officers say another way to avoid thefts is to move decorations out of sight.
Garden furniture, bird baths, gate post ornaments, gnomes and even shrubs are among items that have been stolen.
A Sussex Police spokeswoman said: “Police have noticed a recent spate of thefts of garden ornaments and are encouraging people to consider moving ornaments from view or cementing them down.”
She added: “We are also advising our victims to check architectural reclamation yards for the more unusual items being sold on or via eBay or similar websites.”
The advice comes after the latest theft where four garden urns worth £400 were stolen from a garden in South Harting, near Midhurst.
Phil Gallagher of the crime management unit in Bognor said: “We will be stepping up patrols in the area and are encouraging home owners to be vigilant."
Police have said the majority of thefts have been concentrated in the west of the county although others elsewhere have also taken place.
Last week The Argus reported how award-winning gardens at sheltered housing in Newhaven had been targeted.
Residents are now too afraid to leave decorations in the garden in Neills Close after a gnome, 14 china ducks and two china mice were stolen.
People in the sheltered accommodation, which is run by Lewes District Council, were left baffled as to why the ornaments were taken as none of the items, which included garden lights, are valuable.
A spokeswoman for Sussex Police's Brighton and Hove division said there had not been a spate of gnome thefts in the city.

(Reproduced from the Brighton Argus, 19th July)

GARDIEN TIP: All the advice you need to minimise the chance of becoming a victim can be found at www.garden-security.co.uk