some loser has stolen my plants!!!

Primrose

What a pity you couldn't have the loan of a fierce looking barking alsation. Not many thieves would care to take the risk of being bitten. For next time you can get small portable battery powered alarms which sound whenever there's any movement. They fixed with velcro to doors & windows. We once used one in a ground floor holiday flat so that we could sleep with the windows open on a hot summer night without the fear of somebody climbing in while we were asleep but it would work equally well on a greenhouse door.

chaliepud

I will happily drive up my Cattle Dog for a night or two, they wouldn't be back, he doesn't bite but is very vocal and smiley if you get my drift, no good if you have blood fish and bone tho, he would dig out the lot!

joolsybools

I'm really sorry for you OP and hope the blighters are caught soon. I've got some rocket, corriander and mixed salad leaves seeds if those are any good - PM me if you want them.

I think the "borrow a dog" idea is a good one. Good luck with everything.

foreign_correspondent

I have a dog, and have considered it, we used to have a couple of very vocal terriers, which was handy for knowing if anyone was about, however, I cannot in all conscience risk a dog being potentially kicked, poisoned or even shot by these idiots. (Mine wouldn't bark anyway, but I know one who would, but again, I fear for the dogs safety too much, it just isnt worth it) - there have also been cases of intruders being bitten by dogs and taking action against the owners for having a dangerous dog - craziness!

Thanks for the kind offers of the plants folks, it really is very very kind, and I really do appreciate it, but I am not going to put anything else there for them to take or ruin, I picked myself right up after the last incedent and re-potted a load, just for them to come and collect a few days later.

Have been to local markets and car boots yesterday and today, but no sign. Aparently last week a lady who had been burgled found a chap on the car boot selling all her possessions - she called and called the police and they never came out - makes you wonder what you can do, realistically.

However, I have done a few other things, but again, dont want to post too much on an open forum, I dont know who may be reading and forewarned is forearmed!!

Mely

FC.... im so sorry about what has happened. I really would help you out if i could.
Dont forget...what goes around,comes around!
((((hugs))))
Mel xxXxx

JimJim

I can relate to this alot

I live in Manchester in a house i bought, the house i grew up in, which is on a council estate. Had good neighbours for many years then as they do, they past away or moved. I have a drug idiot one side and a drug and music nutter the other. I had to go to the council after years of music all hours from late at night to next morning. After many complaints he was warn and it quietend down for a while but is getting worsen again. Anyway the point being i too have had things nicked. several solar lights, car damaged several times and today plants nicked. I was in the garden and noticed a plant I had bought was chopped off at the top just the root ball left and another plant completely missing just a hole left behind.
You can guess who it is but you carn't prove it.

jjjme

This makes me so incredibly sad to read - I really can understand the upset of it. On a lesser scale I had a solar light taken from my garden last summer (I'd had it about a year)

Problem I have is I live at the end of a cul-de-sac with communial gardens and a road next to my garden and garages (which 2 years ago showed signs of attempted break ins) My next door neighbour had 8 multi colour solar lights at the end of her patio - they dwindled to 3 over the course of 2 weeks just before mine was taken. I'm just glad its not a rough area - dread to think what it would be like otherwise. I'll never have an allotment though simply because I don't trust people and I couldn't handle having my hard work kicked back in my face.

I find it absolutely infuriating that people think they have the right to TAKE something that someone else has worked for; although at the same time I'm a firm believer in Karma so I know they'll get what the deserve. I don't have a greenhouse so I have to use a £20 plastic sheving unit in the patio window - works wonders and by fitting the shelves upside down small pots sit in the ridges which hold water wonderfully - having read this makes me even more glad of it.

Just a suggestion - How about putting name and telephone number/secret word into a capsule similar to a kinder egg, sealing shut and planting under or deep next to plants in a large pot - can you imagine the scene of discovering your plant(s) at a boot sale and revealing to either the "seller" or a police officer your name or codeword hidden in the pot?

Jamie

ceridwen

The "kinder" egg might be a possibility.

I'm now wondering whether those sort of invisible ink marker things would work on the base of plantpots - as in putting your name/number on the base of them in some way that the thief wouldnt be aware of - but you could prove they were yours.

After reading the post earlier in this thread about the person who found their stolen goods on sale at a car boot and phoned the police (who then let her down by not coming) - I think it all the better idea to just take your goods back yourself if you spot them. Lets face it - even if the police did act properly and duly turn up as fast as possible - by the time they came the thief would have probably sold at least some of the goods.

I guess part of the point of calling the police would be to ensure they whacked an appropriate penalty of whatever description on the thief and they got punished. I dont know that I have very great faith in the police making sure they got punished. I would rather make sure I had my goods back myself - and I would punish them by going to the person in charge of that (and nearby) car boot sales and tell them not to let that stallholder sell anything there again - as it could also be stolen - and bring the car boot sale itself into disrepute.

If I had a cameraphone - then I would be trying for a surreptitious photograph of the thieves as well.

We mustnt let these "people" terrorise the rest of us into shutting up and letting them get away with treating us this way.

<goes off muttering "Whose society is it anyway? ..ours or criminals. Answer = ours".>