Garden theft a growing problem for homeowners

As the clocks go forward this weekend, gardeners will be tempted back into the garden by milder weather and longer daylight hours.

But it’s not just garden centres preparing to do a roaring trade – it’s garden thieves too, advises RIAS.

The increasing popularity of garden makeovers and the concept of the ‘outdoor room’ means that Britons are now spending over £4 billion a year on plants, pots, furniture, garden tools and other garden items, yet many do little or nothing to protect their investment against the rising tide of garden crime, and often leave themselves vulnerable to theft and vandalism.

RIAS has discovered research carried out by gardening organisations, including the Horticultural Trades Association, and police statistics revealing that claims of over 1 million garden thefts per year are not exaggerated.

“Sadly we are all now sitting targets for garden theft,” says RIAS Managing Director Janet Connor, “yet people are not taking anywhere near enough precautions. Most home insurance policy holders don’t realise that the garden and its contents may not be routinely protected by their existing cover in the event of theft, loss or damage, and it’s costing victims as much as £400million per year to replace stolen property. We strongly advise people to check their home insurance policy today, and make sure additional provision for garden cover is added if it is not there already. ”

Garden thieves, as well as green-eyed opportunists, have become bolder over the years: some unscrupulous landscapers steal to order and re-sell plundered assets to unsuspecting clients; ‘garden stripping’ is becoming more common, with people returning home to find their entire garden removed including all plants, trees, water features, furniture, ponds full of fish and even the lawn; and the proceeds of random pilfering lines thieves’ pockets as stolen tools, pots and ornaments end up at car boot sales. Whatever its extent or scale, garden crime is on the rise and causes significant distress and financial loss.

There are several steps RIAS advises homeowners to take can take to lessen the risk of theft:

always lock away all tools and equipment in a garden shed or garage

install security lighting which comes on automatically

consider using gravel in the driveway, or in the access way to the garden, as this acts as audible warning of visitors/intruders

enclose the garden as much as possible with fencing and lockable gates, as this will make it more difficult for thieves to remove larger items such as furniture

when buying and digging in new plants, always remove garden centre tags as these are popular targets for thieves

plant a living barrier to restrict access - throny shrubs such as pyracantha, blackthorn, blue pine and holly are effective deterents

take photographs of larger, more expensive items such as statues, water features and garden furniture, in case of a claim

weather can also cause loss and damage in the garden, make sure you protect any moveable items from weather extremes such as high winds and flooding

make sure the appropriate insurance cover is in place – RIAS offers home insurance policy holders an additional product called Garden Secure which provides extra cover for the garden

For more information, visit rias.co.uk.