Gosport Borough Council investigating allotment break ins

A COUNCIL is taking action after a number of allotment break-ins.
The Middlecroft allotments  in GosportThe Middlecroft allotments  in Gosport
The Middlecroft allotments in Gosport

Sheds in Middlecroft allotments, in Gosport, have been targeted and seen tools and cables stolen, although nothing of value has reportedly been taken.

Jim More, vice chairman of the Gosport Allotment Holders and Gardeners Association, warned allotment owners to not keep anything valuable inside.

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Mr More said: ‘Fences only keep honest people out – you could make them as high as you wanted and people could still get in.

‘You can also make sheds like Fort Knox but, at the end of the day, the doors aren’t very robust and they can be ripped off.

‘If you leave valuables in the sheds, you have to be prepared they might get stolen.’

Councillor Rob Hylands, ward councillor for Brockhurst where the Middlecroft allotments are located, said: ‘I have been trying to get this sorted for some time now.

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‘There are a number of holes that require fixing in the fence.

‘If the council can make the fence secure, it is not going to deter hardened criminals but at least it could stop the ones who do it by chance.

‘It is heart-breaking for the people who work so hard and spend a lot of time on their allotments.’

Cllr Graham Burgess, chairman of Gosport Borough Council’s community board, said that Middlecroft and other allotments have been surveyed and areas of damaged fence identified.

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He added that the council is getting quotations for fence repairs and will make sure repairs are done as soon as possible.

Cllr Burgess said: ‘Gates and locks are regularly checked and reports of broken locks are followed up immediately.

‘Signs have been put up informing plot holders of the recent break-ins and giving advice.

‘We have regular site meetings with site wardens, most recently with Middlecroft’s warden last week.

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‘At Middlecroft an area of bark chip has recently been cleared back. We’re looking into the possibility of using more barbed wire and are getting a quotation for blocking a gap under a gate. We continue to liaise with police to ensure our allotment sites are as secure as they can be. Police are consulted on which repairs to prioritise.’