A "WOW. Just... WOW" of an entirely different kind

[IrishJedi]

Gardener Ordered to Remove Barbed Wire Fence on Grounds It Could 'Wound Thieves'

By Daily Mail UK Reporter Last updated at 9:26 PM on 09th October 2008

A gardener who fenced off his allotment with barbed wire after being targeted by thieves has been ordered to take it down – in case intruders scratch themselves.

Bill Malcolm erected the 3ft fence after thieves struck three times in just four months, stealing tools worth around £300 from his shed and ransacking his vegetable patch.

But Bromsgrove district council has ordered the 61-year-old to remove the waist-high fence on health and safety grounds.

Mr Malcolm, who has grown potatoes, onions, beetroot and asparagus on two patches at the Round Hill allotments in Marlbrook, Worcestershire, for the past eight years, said: 'It's an absolutely ridiculous situation.

'All I wanted was to protect my property but the wire had to go in case a thief scratched himself.

'The fence was just a single strand and ringing my property. It was only 3ft high – it wasn't as though I'd dug a moat filled with piranha fish and erected 6ft iron railings.

'The council said they were unhappy about the precautions I had made but my response was to tell them that only someone climbing over on to my allotment could possibly hurt themselves.

'They shouldn't be trespassing in the first place but the council apologised and said they didn't want to be sued by a wounded thief.

'I told them to let the thief sue me so at least that way I would know who was breaking into my allotment but everything I said fell on deaf ears. It seems as though they are so wrapped up in red tape, they are unable to help me.'

Mr Malcolm said he had been robbed three times since June, along with around 16 of the 50 allotment keepers on the site.

'About £300 worth of tools were taken, including everything from a stainless steel border spade and pitchforks to screwdrivers and hammers,' he added. 'The thieves cut through steel locks on the shed, or broke in through the windows. I caught one lad of about 16 red-handed.

'He dropped the bag of tools and fled, but although the police took a description and finger prints, I heard nothing. Another time yobs broke in and completely trashed my potato and vegetable patches.

'A lot of people, myself included, are growing our own veg to beat the credit crunch. But what's the point if they are going to be ripped up by mindless idiots?

'I take care of this allotment but it's very demoralising to have your belongings stolen and your hard work ruined.'

A spokesman for Bromsgrove council said: 'With regard to the barbed wire, when this is identified on site, we are obliged to request its removal or remove it on health and safety grounds.'

Sergeant Nick Husbands, of West Mercia Police, said: 'We can confirm that five thefts from Round Hill allotments have been reported in the past year.

'These have mainly been from sheds and our advice to allotment holders is not to leave anything of value there.'

Mr Malcolm's plight comes just weeks after Bristol council angered allotment holders by urging them not to lock their sheds in case burglars damaged them breaking in.

 

[DarkArtist81]

That's the dumbest thing I have ever heard.... WTF is wrong with out society?

 

[-Super Hans-]

"Mr Malcolm's plight comes just weeks after Bristol council angered allotment holders by urging them not to lock their sheds in case burglars damaged them breaking in".


i live there

 

[The Chaver]

^^^^ing Wow Again..!!


WTF is wrong with us is wright??

 

[The Craw]

Bill Malcolm erected the 3ft fence after thieves struck three times in just four months, stealing tools worth around £300 from his shed and ransacking his vegetable patch.

huh huh huh huh huh huh

 

[darkknight]

WTF just read the first sentence and yes WOW!

 

[Polylord]

Unbelievable... simply unbelievable. And sad.... so very sad...

 

[Adoptedscot]

Thats the UK for ya, someone breaks into your house and you defend yourself with more than kid gloves and you are the one being charged, aswell as the burglar.

I have a baseball bat at the side of my bed from when I lived over at the other place, and if one of those junkies had actually got in(from their many attempts at kicking the door) and I used that bat, I would be in big trouble here.

Its stupid is what it is, criminals get more rights than we do here.
x

 

[Andr3w]

that's plain stupid...unbelievable!

 

[Darth Waller]

Wow indeed.

 

[Hew]

That is backwards.

If that's the direction we continue to go--left will be right. etc.

 

[Reinhardt]

that is retarded!!! what the hell is next? we can't lock our doors because it could hurt the criminals when they try to break in and splinter themselves? we can't use alarms because the high volume of the alarm may hurt the criminals' ears????

 

[IrishJedi]

Its stupid is what it is, criminals get more rights than we do here.

We're definitely heading in that direction here in the U.S. as well. Just a few more leftist activist judges on the federal court circuit will tip the balance in that direction. (Are you listenting, Barack?)

 

[wofford29]

True story. It's actually a LAW in my city that every house MUST own a gun. I don't own one though, but don't tell anyone.

 

[-Super Hans-]

if a burglar was to break into my house and my dog was to attack him he could sue me and have my dog put down. WTF is up with that seriously rediculous.

 

[Mike1065]

This is sad, yet people in this country try every day to get us to that point.

 

[Kuzeh]

Ha ha, barbed wired is too fancy,
In Mexico they use broken bottles on top of the walls!!

 

[Malice]

that behond WOW, that ^^^^ing stupid!

 

[IrishJedi]

True story. It's actually a LAW in my city that every house MUST own a gun. I don't own one though, but don't tell anyone.

So you live in Kennesaw then?

I'll do you one better... I lived in Acworth for a few years. There, there is a law that says everyone homeowner must own a rake! Serious.

 

[The Ween]

Thats the UK for ya, someone breaks into your house and you defend yourself with more than kid gloves and you are the one being charged, aswell as the burglar.

I have a baseball bat at the side of my bed from when I lived over at the other place, and if one of those junkies had actually got in(from their many attempts at kicking the door) and I used that bat, I would be in big trouble here.

Its stupid is what it is, criminals get more rights than we do here.
x

It's the same way here too. You can't put barbed wire around your property here. If you defend yourself in your own home and the theif lives, they can sue you for hurting them. That's why they say wait till the intruder gets completely inside your house, then make sure you kill them or you can get sued. Silly!

My aunt had a pool with a 6ft locked fence around it. While she was gone for vacation, the neighbors' kids climbed the fence and got into the pool. One got hurt while in the pool and the parents sued my aunt........AND WON! The 6ft fence with a lock wasn't enough of a deterent.