Don't be a victim of thieves

We have been another victim of thieves. Whilst working in a garden in the Hadley Wood, Herts area, a gang in a white van jumped out broke into our vehicle and stole a Hayter, Hedge trimmer, and Blower in the matter of seconds! Its is so frustrating that no matter how hard you try to secure your machinery they still manage to obtain what they want. We work so hard for the things we own and to earn a living for ourselves and staff and some joker spends 30 seconds nicking others property and earns himself a nice few hundred. Do people not have any morales any more, who is bringing these people up!! Arrggghh! The police will no doubt do very little to investigate the crime despite there being a possible CCTV sighting, and several security patrols in the area who are paid to prevent such things like this from happening. So if anyone is approached by a dodgy character in the pub later on tonight wanting to sell a Hayter Mower, Kawasaki Hedge trimmer and a stihl blower, give them a quick jab in the nose for me!

It's not just the dodgy areas you find stuff going missing in...the posh areas are prime time rich pickings for these toerags too so be on your gaurd.

I sympathize with anyone who gets stuff lifted...I've had it happen to me ! Cable lock all tools together, put a cheap movement shed alarm in the back of the van & a DiscLock steering wheel cover on, dead locks on the doors and get into the routine of locking unlocking stuff....

A pain I know but you've got to try and make yourself as unapealing to theives as possible.....they do like easy money...so don't make it easy ;-)

I also use a wireless chime that lets me know if overnight the doors are opened on the van....no one reacts to a car alarm these days, so if this goes off I know to get me arris out the door quick because some ones in there !!

Chin up, learn from the experience and make yourself more secure for the future ;-)

Bloomin pain though aye !!!

Replies

Kieran Ray November 12, 2009 at 4:53pm

Iv had people try this to me before! ive caught them on both occasions so they didnt get away with any tools, once they had just touched the floor so the just got back in van other time I unfortunatly sufferd a smashed window! luckerly I had a donner van so just swaped over the doors!

I do feel for you and it makes me so angry that people do ot, with out naming we can all work out the lickle suspects!
Lawncare-4u.co.uk November 12, 2009 at 6:14pm

the Police know who THEY are which makes it more frustrating ! but as you say they do NOTHING,.

get it reported , keep serial numbers/hand-books and reciepts for all tools. (esp over £100)

claim for EVERYTHING , but be honest as Insurance co's are trying to get out of things as they have had some very bad investment losses recently .

i must use a wire coil/rope to tie all my stihls together with a lock !! harder to shift 5 big tools together !! or a clamp/rope ties bolted to floor !
PRO

Stuart @ Eco Garden Maintenance November 12, 2009 at 9:33pm

Hardcore! Thats the only language these people understand, unfortunately.

Pro Gard said:
I had this happen with pikies, but they didnt get a chance to take anything!!

I was cutting a hedge when I noticed a new white transit cruising past suspiciusly...... sixth sense told me something strange about it, so took the precution of taking out the small sledge hammer out and standing behind a tree just out of sight.

Suprise suprise, they must have turned around and came back 2 mins later and two blokes jumped out and ran around to the rear of mine and tried the doors (locked), I ran across to thier van and quick as a flash put in the drivers window and stoved in the bonet with my sledge hammer..... they jumped in and tore off.

The T*s were lucky It was the van I smashed.
The English Garden Company Ltd. November 13, 2009 at 10:44am

Thanks for the support. Just makes u think why bother, we work hard, struggle on, whilst these buggers are living the life of Riley off the back of others! Nice approach Pro-Guard but knowing my luck they would chase after me with a chainsaw they nicked from another innocent gardener!
Graeme @ BGS November 13, 2009 at 1:00pm

Been hit a few times and the police just don't care or willing to do anything other than giving a crime reference number so you can claim off your insurance but try claiming for gear under tools in transit unless dead locked doors!!

Most of the thieves only flog the gear on for beer money and the tools end up at car boots sales. Nicking someone’s livelihood for a few hundred quid is sticking and I rather like Paul’s direct action with a sledge hammer it does seem very sweet revenge!
Graeme @ BGS November 13, 2009 at 1:46pm

This helps but leaves little room for tools also need to find a way to stop him eating the kit! :-)
Ofer El-hashahar November 13, 2009 at 4:08pm

I had a whole van stolen five years ago , the only thing to do is to find the next job, get new tools and hope that it will not happened again- do not spend time, move on. I do feel sorry for you and it is irrigating.

all the best
ofer
Lawncare-4u.co.uk November 13, 2009 at 5:45pm

my dream 'insurance'.............if i had a gated/fenced residence i'd love one !!!

Graeme @ The BGS Group said:
This helps but leaves little room for tools also need to find a way to stop him eating the kit! :-)
Mark November 13, 2009 at 6:22pm

It's not just the dodgy areas you find stuff going missing in...the posh areas are prime time rich pickings for these toerags too so be on your gaurd.

I sympathize with anyone who gets stuff lifted...I've had it happen to me ! Cable lock all tools together, put a cheap movement shed alarm in the back of the van & a DiscLock steering wheel cover on, dead locks on the doors and get into the routine of locking unlocking stuff....

A pain I know but you've got to try and make yourself as unapealing to theives as possible.....they do like easy money...so don't make it easy ;-)

I also use a wireless chime that lets me know if overnight the doors are opened on the van....no one reacts to a car alarm these days, so if this goes off I know to get me arris out the door quick because some ones in there !!

Chin up, learn from the experience and make yourself more secure for the future ;-)

Bloomin pain though aye !!!
Ben Jones November 14, 2009 at 12:58am

Definitely mark up everything you can with your details. I would put it somewhere in plain sight too, rather than inside air fiter boxes. Most of my stuff has my mobile number on too. If police stop someone, there is a good chance they will call a number marked on any property, whereas no one really knows where a postcode relates to exactly, so any thief can give an address and claim it's their's.

Locking everything constantly is definitely the way to put them off, but a pain. and as mentioned dont assume they'll only hit not so nice areas. It's the nicer areas they go to offend, as that's where the best pickings are.