Ten per cent rise in Garden Crime

"Recorded crime in England and Wales falls 4%, with murders down 14% in 2011-12 and violent crime in general down 7%..........."

However, the picture was slightly mixed, with significant rises recorded in the last two years in metal thefts triggered by soaring commodity prices; pickpocketing and thefts of mobile phones and wallets left unattended; and thefts from garages and sheds, including tools and garden furniture.

The last category rose by 10% to 1,371,000 incidents last year, suggesting that home security has improved to the point where opportunistic thieves are no longer attempting to break into homes.

(Extract from article in the Guardian, 19th July.  The full article can be seen at http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2012/jul/19/murder-rate-falls-crime-figures?newsfeed=true )

Gardien Comment: It's all too easy in many instances for people to enter gardens and escape with possessions from the garden itself or the shed and other outbuildings.  See the garden security advice and recommended security products at www.garden-security.co.uk