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Thanks for stealing our hanging baskets!

ktbg

By ktbg
in General ED Issues / Gossip

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shen

shen

Posted
Posted

We live on Oglander Road and over the last few weeks we have had people stealing plants from our front garden.


The first time they took about 5 leaving behind 4 less healthy ones. We nursed these ones back to health only to have the three most healthy ones nicked a few days ago. Now only one not so healthy plant left, as soon as it perks up I fully expect it to be stolen too. I know it's not a huge crime but it is annoying. And all in daylight. First time they even left a plastic gardeners tray behind!


Edited to say at least they did it neatly. The first time they even filled in the holes.

rch

rch

Posted
Posted

Everyone should report plant thefts to the local police or 101... you can try to do it online, but I find the Met website dysfunctional.


This is a common pattern that's been going around for years now - a previous local sergeant used to call the thieves The Flowerpot Men. They steal residents' plants and then sell them at pop up plant stalls (sometimes as far away as Chelsea). As soon as one area becomes aware, The Flowerpot Men simply move to another area. I tend to keep ugly plants outside my house, which no one would want to buy...


The main reasons for everyone to report in tandem are a) once the police are aware that The Flowerpot Men are back, they can request night car patrols from the burglary unit. b) the police have actually found the plants in the past, so if they have a list of residents who have reported, they'll contact them to view the stash in order to reclaim plants that match the description of the stolen items.


The thefts usually stop when I've posted this message on the Forum in the past...

colville09

colville09

Posted
Posted
Hi ianr, the two boxes at the junction of Oglander and Grove Vale were funded by the Greener, Cleaner, Safer scheme by Southwark about four years ago. In return myself and another neighbour signed a contract with the council to look after them for three years. Four years on we are still watering, replacing plants that get stolen, clearing up the litter and booze bottles dumped in them and cleaning off the tagging when it happens. Can be depressing sometimes but It's worth it though and other neighbours join in the watering. People seem to like them and it was partly to slow down the fast cycle lads riding across the island and rounding the corner mowing down little old ladies... So it's traffic calming as well as a pollution barrier. PM me if you want more detail. Oh, and then there is the phantom flower picker who drives me a little crazy too.
ianr

ianr

Posted
Posted

That's good to know. Thanks for the info. It was the phantom flower picker that prompted me to ask. I remember seeing someone busy with a trowel on the beds about 9.45 one Sunday morning last year. I was slighly suspicious,, then thought it was much more likely to be neighbourly activity, but didn't feel up to stopping for a chat to resolve the uncertainty. And these things stick in the mind. :)


Really glad to see everything's getting some rain at last.

colville09

colville09

Posted
Posted
If it makes you less bothered about not chatting, if person had a trowel about their person it was probably us adding stuff rather than subtracting. The plant stealer does not go in for subtle things like garden tools and just seems to yank up newly planted stuff if it looks any good and the phantom flower picker just rips the flower stems off. I think I spotted her once and she just muttered about 'just taking a cutting for my garden' as she tore away the plant.
malumbu

malumbu

Posted
Posted

Sorry for the facetious post but I always wonder why people use the sarcastic or passive aggressive tone in the title of a thread. It makes me want to say "it was a pleasure". Reminds me of the episode of Captain Pugwash where he sees a poster which has his picture and a "wanted for piracy". So he turns up at the authorities as he thinks that the poster is a job advert. https://www.pinterest.co.uk/richardswift90/captain-pugwash/ {before anyone starts most of the 'suggestive' characters are an urban myth).


I see that there are other posts on this thread that are similarly of no value too!

JohnL

JohnL

Posted
Posted

malumbu Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> Sorry for the facetious post but I always wonder

> why people use the sarcastic or passive aggressive

> tone in the title of a thread. It makes me want

> to say "it was a pleasure". Reminds me of the

> episode of Captain Pugwash where he sees a poster

> which has his picture and a "wanted for piracy".

> So he turns up at the authorities as he thinks

> that the poster is a job advert.

> https://www.pinterest.co.uk/richardswift90/captain

> -pugwash/ {before anyone starts most of the

> 'suggestive' characters are an urban myth).

>

> I see that there are other posts on this thread

> that are similarly of no value too!



Maybe in Captain Pugwash but not in Charles Dickens :)


https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charley_Bates


Edit: and they say the term was obscure at the time but surely Dickens could have Googled it ;)

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