Police in Skipton and South Craven say local sports clubs and those who look after communal gardens should be vigilant after a number of recent thefts of gardening equipment.
Over the past month a number of venues have been broken into and valuable items such as ride-on lawnmowers stolen.
Sometime between over the weekend of Friday 7th to Monday 10th July, Carleton Football Club was targeted and a lawnmower stolen.
The week after, overnight on Monday 17th to Tuesday 18th July a lawn mower, strimmer, leaf blower, and a metal ashes urn spreader was stolen from Skipton Crematorium.
And then last week. sometime overnight between Tuesday 15th and Wednesday 16th August, Bradley Cricket Club was broken into and a Husqvarna ride-on lawnmower was stolen.
Speaking about the thefts, Police Constable Sharon Leverton from Craven Community Safety Hub said: “Being broken into and having property stolen is a horrible, invasive crime which understandably leaves victims feeling angry and upset at being targeted in this way.
“What’s particularly upsetting about this spate of thefts is that these venues all provide valued services to the community, particularly the Crematorium. To steal items which are used to tend to the resting places of loved ones is particularly low.
“The Local Neighbourhood Policing Team will be patrolling in the affected areas to provide a visible deterrence to thieves. But there are also some steps that can be taken to protect expensive gardening items and make your shed or outbuilding a difficult target for those looking to break-in.
“It might sound strange but, think like a thief. Look at your shed and consider how you would break in. It’s worth having a good padlock on the door with no exposed screws. Pay attention to hinges, as these are sometimes easily removable. If you have windows, then these could be vulnerable unless they’re secured with wire mesh or grills. And keep it locked at all times.
“Consider a battery-operated shed alarm. They look low-key but they respond to movement or door contact with an extremely loud siren. Lighting is always a good deterrent too, something that activates if it picks up movement outside.
“And as ever, lock it, hide it or mark it. Don’t give thieves the opportunity or the tools to commit a crime. Lock everything away securely. Tools can be locked inside a locker or box and consider property marking expensive items. That way if we recover it, we can return it to you.”
More information about keeping your property safe can be found on the North Yorkshire Police website.
If you have any information about the burglaries mentioned above or any CCTV or doorbell footage which would be of assistance to the investigations, please contact North Yorkshire Police on 101 select option 4 and speak to the Force Control Room quoting the following reference numbers:
- 12230128803 for Carleton Football Club
- 12230153810 for Bradley Cricket Club
- 12230133930 for Skipton Crematorium
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