Thetford hit by spate of allotment thefts

Rebecca Gough Allotment holders in Thetford are urged to report any thefts, no matter how small, to police after a series of break-ins.

Rebecca Gough

Allotment holders in Thetford are urged to report any thefts, no matter how small, to police after a series of break-ins.

With 200 allotments dotted around the town, opportunistic thieves have taken vegetables and tools, and a recent spate at Bury Road has prompted the warning.

Growers at Bury Road and the town's other sites including Ickneild Way, London Road, Mundford Road and Magdalen Street, are also encouraged to make sure gates are closed in the evening and the allotments are secure.

Chairman of the Thetford Garden and Allotment Club Rachel Woods said: “We're encouraging people to go to the police to get a crime number so the police know how much is going from the allotments.

“What's sad is there isn't much we can do about it, but if the thieves find it isn't as easy, they may change their route.”

A small stove used to make tea at the London Road site was also taken in recent weeks, and produce has regularly gone missing.

The club has now applied for funding from Breckland Council to plant a hawthorn bush and build a fence, which would act as a barrier at the Bury Road allotments.

Yvonne Rout, committee member of the garden and allotment club, added: “With times being hard for everyone, I can understand we might have a few things missing, but it is becoming a big issue.

“I wonder why we should do all the hard work just for someone else to reap the produce. Even though sites like London Road have a really high fence they will still get in.

“We want to make it more difficult for the casual thief to break in.”