Gardeners in despair after allotment raids (From The Northern Echo)

Gardeners in despair after allotment raids

2:14pm Thursday 2nd February 2012 in Sedgefield News

ALLOTMENT holders have expressed anger and frustration after vandals targeted their plots for the third time in a matter of weeks.

There are about 115 allotments located on the land at Fishburn, which were broken into just before Christmas, when a number of turkeys were stolen from the site.

Then a few weeks later, in early January, the plots were targeted again by vandals who smashed locks on the entrance to the site and damaged various items onmany of the plots.

They also caused extensive damage to poly tunnels by slashing holes in the sides of them.

Nothing was stolen during that incident.

The most recent incident happened probably on Sunday night or early Monday.

It is believed bolt cutters may have been used to cut through the locks so that vandals could gain access to the site again.

Despite more damage, nothing is understood to have been stolen. The breakin was discovered early on Monday and reported to the police.

One of the allotment holders, who did not want to be identified, said the plot holders were trying to seek advice from a crime prevention officer to prevent any further break-ins.

She said: "It is so frustrating because most of the allotment holders spend a long time down there cultivating our gardens and then for someone to come along and mindlessly damage them is awful.

"Things have to be replaced.We cannot leave the allotments unlocked but how often can we replace the broken locks at £40 a time? We cannot afford to keep doing that."

Anyone with information about the incidents is asked to call Durham Police's nonemergency number, 101, or Crimestoppers, anonymously, on 0800-555-111.