Nip garden crime in the bud

Gardeners are being reminded to lock up their sheds this spring in a bid to reduce theft from outdoor storage areas.
Longer daylight hours and warmer weather can spark a wave of thefts from sheds and gardens worth hundreds of thousands of pounds.
Aylesbury Vale District Council and Thames Valley Police are launching a garden security roadshow to help cut down on the crime and save residents the misery of discovery they have lost precious or costly items from lawnmowers to power tools.
The roadshows will offer to residents in Aylesbury Vale free property marking for garden gadgets and power tools. Residents will be able to bring up to three tools from home or purchased that day from the roadshow locations.
Community safety officers will also be giving people advice on how use their gardens to protect their homes, including defensive planting, which involves planting prickly shrubs near windows and doors, putting tools away and using suitable locks on sheds and garages. Free vehicle crime prevention kits will be available to visitors on a first come firsts served basis to help reduce vehicle crime at beauty spot locations.
The property marking sessions will take place at garden centres and hardware stores across the Vale on the following dates:
• Friday 5 April – World’s End Garden Centre, Wendover, 10am to 1pm
• Wednesday 10 April – Buckingham Garden Centre, 10am to 3pm
• Thursday 11 April – B & Q, Aylesbury, 9.30am to 1.30pm
• Friday 12 April – Wickes, Aylesbury, 9am to 1pm
• Monday 15 April – Homebase, Aylesbury, 10am to 3pm
• Saturday 27 April – Haddenham Garden Centre, 10am to 3pm

(Reproduced from Aylesbury Vale District Council info, 25th March)

Gardien Tip: An excellent initiative. Further advice and security solutions can be found at www.garden-security.co.uk)