Theft of garden items warning

2:33pm Thursday 7th August 2008

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A BENCH was stolen from the front garden of a property in Kidderminster and police have warned that there is often an increase in the theft of garden items at this time of year.

The wooden bench worth £50 was taken from a house in Walter Nash Road East between 10pm on Monday and 9am Tuesday.

PC Ian White, Kidderminster crime risk manager, said: “Police traditionally see an increase in the theft of garden furniture, hanging baskets, planters, and statues at this time of year and items such as this are safer kept in a rear garden rather than in a front garden.

“Benches, planters and ornaments can be bolted permanently to a concrete base, while stones can also be placed at the bottom of lightweight pots to make them heavy to carry.

“Place hanging baskets as high as possible, or secure them to the bracket with a cable and lock, which can be bought at a reasonable price from most DIY retailers.

“This should keep them safe from opportunistic thieves, who are responsible for the vast majority of offences.

“Police recommend storing lighter items of garden furniture such as loungers in a locked shed at night or when no-one is around.”

Other advice includes: installing dusk- to-dawn sensor controlled security lights, putting down gravel which enables a householder to hear an intruder's footsteps, marking property, such as plastic pots, permanently and visibly with the house name or number and the postcode and photographing expensive items to make it easier to identify them if they are stolen.

A garden crime leaflet called Tips to Nip Garden Crime in the Bud is available from police stations and garden centres in West Mercia.

Anyone with information about the theft of the bench should call Kidderminster police on 08457 444 888 or Crimestoppers free and anonymously on 0800 555 111.