Power tools stolen from sheds in Wellington, near Hereford
Stolen items in Wellington have mainly been power tools, including chainsaws, hedge trimmers, hand tools and batteries.
Six burglaries or attempted burglaries took place between November 29 and 30, while another happened at around 5.50pm on December 7.
Police believe access was gained through fields behind the properties.
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There was no CCTV footage in the area, while there was also insufficient lighting.
The homeowners have since been visited by the Safer Neighbourhood Team (SNT), offering smart watermarking kits.
To address the concerns, the SNT has increased patrols in the area, with forensic teams being involved. Despite the incidents, West Mercia Police want to reiterate that Wellington remains a safe place to live and have offered some general shed safety advice. This includes:
- Strong Locks: Invest in high-quality padlocks. Consider using closed shackle padlocks or locks with protected hasps to prevent easy cutting or tampering.
- Secure Hinges: Use hinge security pins or coach bolts to secure the hinges, making it harder for someone to remove the door.
- Motion-Activated Lights: Install motion-activated lights around the shed. These can startle potential intruders and alert you or neighbours to any activity.
- Alarms and sensors: Consider installing shed alarms or wireless sensors that trigger an alert if the shed is accessed. Some systems can even alert your phone.
- Window bars or grilles: If your shed has windows, reinforce them with bars or grilles to prevent forced entry.
- Secure anchoring: Anchor heavy or valuable items within the shed to the floor or walls using cables or chains, making them harder to steal.
- Security marking: Mark your tools and equipment with a unique identifier such as your postcode using permanent markers or security labels. This makes them less attractive to thieves and easier to identify if stolen.
- Vegetation trimming: Ensure trees or bushes near the shed are trimmed regularly to eliminate hiding spots for potential intruders.
- Insurance coverage: Check if your home insurance covers items stored in sheds. Some policies might require additional security measures for coverage.