Ideas needed for garden security!!

IferHadaRichMan

Hello everyone...

I need your help with ideas for making my friend's back garden safer...his garden backs onto a park, and this morning he realised that his shed has been broken into, stealing lots of important, essential and expensive things :sad:

there is no access to the rear garden other than through the house or over the garden fence (the shed is right at the bottom of the garden, which is quite long) - the fence is the only way these awful theives could have accessed the shed as my mate owns a huuuge dalmatian who would never let anyone past without getting attention lol...

Although the shed was padlocked shut (they prized the lock off) I'm basically after ideas on how to deter or stop anyone from getting over the fence in future...I initially thought that maybe barb wire or sticky stuff with glass in etc might be the way forward, however I don't know whether this would be legal or if it could leave my friend liable should someone become injured on such stuff.

Please come back with any ideas you may have, as my poor friend feels quite vulnerable (and very angry) that this has happened, and obviously wants to prevent such a thing happening in future.

abbecer

I would plant Pyrocantha (sp) along the back fence. It is a very thorny type of bush. I would also fit a weak type of trellis along the top of the fence. This will make it higher and also probably collapse under intruders weight if they were to try and climb over.

Hope this helps

Rebecca x

elite_2

abbecer is on the money, plant lots of spikey things on the bounderies.

I've heard of people using barbed wire, broken glass and even carpet fittings to deter/injur intruders, however I believe this could lead you open to some rediculous law suit...

bookemdano

Hi
I agree with above post. Plant plenty of thorny bushes, blackthorn etc. I think I'm right in saying that you will be breaking the law if you put broken glass around your garden. What about getting a big dog:rotfl:
Could your friend wire up a security light at the end of the garden?

abbecer

When we were burgled the policeman told us unofficially to put carpet gripper rods along the top of the fence. He told us that if anyone complained just act dumb and say it was to deter cats from your garden. We never did do it because we have a cat ourselves. Just an idea if people are willing to risk a lawsuit because some poor unfortunate burglar has injured themselves trying to break into your house!!!

Rebecca x

iamcornholio

There is a big worry about fitting barbed-wire or glass fragments in mortar for fear of possible legal action from a wounded burglar. It is not 'illegal' to do and is not a criminal offence, but it comes down to liability if injury occurs and if compensation is payable and this is in the civil courts.

A simple warning sign is considered a reasonble thing to do if you do this, and will counter the majority possible claims

But in real terms, there is likely to be no legal action from any wounded chav - it's a possiblity, but the chance is low indeed that he will bother. In any case, house insurance will cover any legal action against the homeowner.

There is nothing wrong with barbed wire, carpet grippers or other sharp deterents. But going to extremes with 'out of the ordinary' security - eg electric fences would be unacceptable. Any such measures should be well above head height to prevent accidental contact

But yes, even unlawful visitors have rights, and you should not really make it easy for any such vistor to injure themselves unknowingly- after all, it may just be little Johnny after his football back, little boys will try to scale a fence.

But no self respecting burglar is going to be detered by any top of fence treatments - they will get ripped down if he feels there is something on the otherside. By all means fit some visible deterent, but concentrate security on the shed.

Better locks and more secure timber panels and door should be fitted. And a sensor light plus a loud alarm will help. Time and noise is against the burglar, so think along these lines

And remember, many burglars return to the scene to collect what they have seen but not taken previously, or knowing that the items will be replaced on the insurance.

ixwood

Sturdy Thorny plants medium term.

Security lighting. Increased shed locks, including an alarm.

TBH, I wouldn't keep anything valuable in there until the back is very secure. They'll come sniffing round again.

misgrace

abbecer wrote: »

When we were burgled the policeman told us unofficially to put carpet gripper rods along the top of the fence. He told us that if anyone complained just act dumb and say it was to deter cats from your garden. We never did do it because we have a cat ourselves. Just an idea if people are willing to risk a lawsuit because some poor unfortunate burglar has injured themselves trying to break into your house!!!

Rebecca x

And if you paint the grippers in with the fence colour, they are undetectable to the naked eye, so next time an oik trys his luck he will have a nasy shock.
Like rebecca said, act dumb, and say it was to deter cats, and foxes etc.

You or your friend want to saveguard thier property, and if an oik hurts himself, then he shouldnt be climbing over the fence any way.

Or set up a video cam facing the garden.

paddy's_mum

Iamcornholio is spot on with all the advice given in his/her post.

I would take issue with one slight thing though, if I may. Legal expenses insurance is not automatically included in household insurance. It is usually an add-on of some kind. Perhaps wise to check that you have it before going ahead with the carpet gripper/broken glass route! You WILL be liable if anyone, criminal or not, should be injured by it.

Could the shed be moved nearer to the house so that it is more under the householder's eye?

sparkleworld

You can get anti-theft screws from a decent ironmongers. They can be done up but not undone! Where we used to live you could have the biggest most expensive lock but all the would do was unscrew the hinges!!!:eek:

Also make sure the clasp covers the screws on the lock too.

They have aslo been known to go in over the top! So screw down the roof rather than nail it.

A portable alarm (Battery operated) which has a high piercing screech when the connection is broken is useful too.

Regarding the fence.....

I HAVEN'T done this but I know people who have!

They have smeared Doggy Doo across the top of the fence!! Eugh!!

As your friend has a dog this might appeal to them I couldn't stomach it though- so hopefully nor will your unwelcome visitors.

hope this helps.
regards
Sparkle

vivatifosi

Excellent suggestions so far, here are a couple of others that are hopefully up to the job:

Fix prikka strips to the top of the fence instead of carpet grippers. Our residents assn has used these successfully to stop kids taking a short cut through our estate. They also put up warning signs.

Sharp thorny plants: can highly recommend the kifgate rose. It is very fast growing (the biggest rose in the UK is kifgate) and very thorny. My aunt planted a couple earlier this year and they have already achieved quite good coverage of her fence. Holly is also good, but the mature plants are expensive. And firethorn (pyracantha) as abbecer has suggested, is evil!

Don't smear doggy poo on your fence, use axle grease. It doesn't wash off in the rain. And you can say if someone tries to sue you that you were fixing something mechanical next to the fence.

Or there's always anti-climb paint that comes off on clothes.