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Gardeners will be allowed to put up barbed wire to deter thieves in Southampton

1:26pm Monday 21st December 2009 in


IT’S a victory for common sense.

That is the view of Southampton gardeners after a ban preventing them from using barbed wire on their allotments was overturned by council bosses.

As revealed by the Daily Echo, health and safety chiefs at Southampton City Council banned the deterrent at allotments plagued with vandalism – in case thieves hurt themselves.

But horticulturists have now been told they can use barbed wire providing it’s a minimum of 1.8 metres from the ground and there are warning notices.

The council U-turn comes just days after mindless thugs impaled a chicken on a garden fork before destroying crops at an allotment off Peartree Avenue.

Grandad Mervyn Hobden, 67, a former Merchant Navy pump man, of Thornhill, whose allotments at Muddy Bottom East have been repeatedly vandalised, said: “It’s a victory for common sense.

“It’s going to be a big help preventing the type of vandalism that we get here all too often. But it will be years before the council get round to putting barbed wire up as they say they don’t have any money.”

Sonia Blandford, treasurer of Southampton Allotment and Garden Association, said: “This is definitely good news.

“We have to send out the right message that it’s private property.

If people hurt themselves while breaking in then that’s their problem.”

A spokesman for Southampton City Council, added: “We are pleased to say that barbed wire and protective fencing can now be put up around our allotments as long as it complies with the required standard.

See today's paper for more on this story

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Comments(10)

Stupideditor says...
1:34pm Mon 21 Dec 09

So they should if SCC grants permission for headstones to be secured with barbed wire under Redbridge flyover

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hulla baloo says...
1:35pm Mon 21 Dec 09

Stupideditor wrote:
So they should if SCC grants permission for headstones to be secured with barbed wire under Redbridge flyover
Agreed.
You beat me to that comment.

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goard says...
1:54pm Mon 21 Dec 09

Why is it that the dice is stacked up against the allotment holder - all we want is to promote a rich soil, grow our veg, however attacked by green fly - we love the freshness of what we have grown. When yobs have a great night out - they really deserve a shot up the arse - I say fire a gun of red paint (the paint that is not easily erased) so we know what they have been up to the night before - we do not need a loaded pistol - may I say it would be a good idea to spray the household burglar - we may not have the strength to injure them but by heck we have put our mark on them without taking their life. The Developers the same, they are nothing but the intruder.

goard

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espanuel says...
2:02pm Mon 21 Dec 09

goard,If you spray the burglar and he gets it in the eye's he will sue for injury and you will be worse off, I know its not right but the law is on the side of the antagonist, you can only take reasonable force which is wide open to the police and the burglar. Its a strange old world and agree with some of your statements

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StEmmosfire says...
3:43pm Mon 21 Dec 09

Pair of wire cutters and they'll be in again.

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Southampton Heart says...
4:48pm Mon 21 Dec 09

If thieves hurt themselves......who cares!. I hope they bleed to death.

This is good wise sensible decision by the Council.

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Redkelly says...
12:24pm Tue 22 Dec 09

Better to plant out defensive thorns

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cockney boy says...
1:13pm Tue 22 Dec 09

i dont agree in allowing them to install barbed wire around the plots.

they should install razor wire and connect it to the mains and let the scum fry then when there dead stick a broom up there backsides and use them as a scarecrow ....

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Bartonian says...
4:25pm Tue 22 Dec 09

I think we should bring back the medievil stocks, so when the culprits are caught, the allotment holders can throw their supply of rotten vegetables at them. Better still, put Eastleigh Councillors in there, as their act of vandalism in putting allotments under concrete for housing and kicking the allotment holders of their land is even worse a crime than scummy yobs.

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now in the north says...
7:55pm Tue 22 Dec 09

I vote for giving them their own needle and gut so they can stitch themselves up when they tear their plums on the wire! Why should the NHS pay for it.

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