Unfortunately as many of us that own an allotment knows, they can be prone to vandalism. Whether it is just children who are bored so try to pick your crops and are essentially just playing, or malicious damage caused in an attempt to steal your allotment tools from your shed, the consequences can be upsetting for the allotment holder.

There are many things that can be done to discourage such activities, such as painting anti-vandal paint on fences around your site or protecting your valuables by locking your shed securely, unfortunately if the intruder wants to get in they inevitably will.

The only way to try to stop such occurrences is by educating the general public on what an allotment stands for, and the upset caused by damage and theft. Many allotment associations have allotment watch schemes and signs and deterrents at most of their sites to warn potential intruders, and the police at some sites take an active role in discouraging theft by arranging meetings with allotment holders on how to discourage theft.

It can be a good idea to have some sort of basic alarm system fitted to your shed, these are similar to home security systems but not as advanced and battery operated. They act as a shock tactic because the thief will panic when the alarm sounds.

It is unfortunate that sometimes events like these can happen, if they happen to you do not be upset or put off your rewarding hobby. It is a sad indictment of our times and something we all have to live with.