At some time or other every site in the city must have been the target of vandalism to varying degrees. Sometimes it can be as simple as rubbish thrown over a fence while some of the more serious acts involve breaking into sheds and greenhouses and arson. All are mindless acts which vary from being a nuicance to impacting so much that the plotholder feels like giving up.

To give up is to give in to the perpetrators who, in many cases, often 'go away' to look for other avenues to feed their feeble minds. Across the city if every act of vandalism was reported it would be interesting to see the satatistics much of which is unseen and unknown because most incidents are not reported.

Sometimes the vandalism appears to be seasonal - school holiday times seeing an upturn. Currently, with the glut of crops on show for passers by, this seems to attract the 'harvest festival' lurkers who trawl through the site picking and choosing their next meal..

Over the years, there doesn't seem to be any pattern to this but reports from various sites would indicate that scrap hunters, rough sleepers, kids, and bounty hunters all take their toll on an allotment.

What can be done? The answer to this varies depending upon circumstances but there are a few things that have been shared between sites which would be worth looking in to.

All destructive vandalism and theft ought to be reported to the police. They may not be able to do much but their statistics will eventually stack up to prompt some action and in the mean time, while it will be impossible to defeat every vandal, there are a few things which may deter some.

Give the local beat bobby a key to the site and persuade them to look in now and then and get an email address to send reports to - it is often better than a phone call.
Notices about CCTV being in use around the site could help.
Plant thorned fruit and shrubs around usual entry points - a firethorn fence will often deter all but the brave!
Locking doors often invites a caller to break in - sometimes a bolt which can be undone easily is better (just don't leave valuables in your shed!)
Keep the committee informed of what is happening to your plot - if they don't know about it they can't make decisions.

Our forum has a thread on this topic just now. Have a look and add your comments. It would be interesting to get a snapshot of these issues around the city (and from wider afield).

George Groom who is a new allotment holder in the city has had severe problems - including arson on his plot. He has sent us some photos - links on the right.


	Vandalism on allotments
At some time or other every site in the city must have been the target of vandalism to varying degrees. Sometimes it can be as simple as rubbish thrown over a fence while some of the more serious acts involve breaking into sheds and greenhouses and arson. All are mindless acts which vary from being a nuicance to impacting so much that the plotholder feels like giving up. To give up is to give in to the perpetrators who, in many cases, often 'go away' to look for other avenues to feed their feeble minds. Across the city if every act of vandalism was reported it would be interesting to see the satatistics much of which is unseen and unknown because most incidents are not reported. Sometimes the vandalism appears to be seasonal - school holiday times seeing an upturn. Currently, with the glut of crops on show for passers by, this seems to attract the 'harvest festival' lurkers who trawl through the site picking and choosing their next meal.. Over the years, there doesn't seem to be any pattern to this but reports from various sites would indicate that scrap hunters, rough sleepers, kids, and bounty hunters all take their toll on an allotment. What can be done? The answer to this varies depending upon circumstances but there are a few things that have been shared between sites which would be worth looking in to. All destructive vandalism and theft ought to be reported to the police. They may not be able to do much but their statistics will eventually stack up to prompt some action and in the mean time, while it will be impossible to defeat every vandal, there are a few things which may deter some. Here are some things to consider: Give the local beat bobby a key to the site and persuade them to look in now and then and get an email address to send reports to - it is often better than a phone call. Notices about CCTV being in use around the site could help. Plant thorned fruit and shrubs around usual entry points - a firethorn fence will often deter all but the brave! Locking doors often invites a caller to break in - sometimes a bolt which can be undone easily is better (just don't leave valuables in your shed!) Keep the committee informed of what is happening to your plot - if they don't know about it they can't make decisions. Our forum has a thread on this topic just now. Have a look and add your comments. It would be interesting to get a snapshot of these issues around the city (and from wider afield). George Groom who is a new allotment holder in the city has had severe problems - including arson on his plot. He has sent us some photos - links on the right. If you have got anything to add - visit the forum and let us know.
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