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Ensure your garden equipment is safe and secure
Gardeners have a
tendency to be a little green when it comes to protecting their
tools and leisure items,and quite often fall victim to garden
theft.
Garden tools and equipment such as lawnmowers,
hedge trimmers, power washers, strimmers and watering devices are
all relatively high value items that can easily be stolen from
garden sheds, greenhouses or the home itself.
Garden furniture can also be expensive and
desirable, as can patio accessories and the growing number of adornments
that can now be purchased since the gardening revolution hit Britain.
The majority of garden theft is opportunistic
and urges gardeners to take the same precautions with their garden
possessions as they would with their indoor electrical and personal
items.
Gardeners should make sure their garden
equipment is covered by a home insurance policy protecting the
possessions and contents of both house and garden.
Gardeners should also;
- Lock gardening equipment away, inside
a shed, using very strong locks and padlocks.
- Screen any windows in the shed, so equipment
is not visible.
- Mark valuable equipment with ultraviolet
markings.
- Install security lights and alarms, where
needed, as a deterrent.
- Photograph any very valuable gardening
items, so that, if stolen, the Police can identify them.
- Place heavy weights under the soil in
garden pots. This makes them difficult to move.
- Use gravel
on paths. This allows you to hear intruders’ footsteps
and slows down wheelbarrows used to wheel items away.
- Use thorny plants, such berberis, holly
and blackthorn, to protect any entry areas into your garden.
Roses placed under windows are also a deterrent.
Above all, do not leave house windows and
doors open whilst they are about their garden chores, and not to
leave keys under obvious hiding places such as pots and stones.
Gardeners should also take care not
to leave tools lying around outside the home, as these can be
used to force entry into the house itself.
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