The following warning was brought to the attention of your Parish Council.

Kent Police advise that this is the time of year that thieves start targeting sheds, lawnmowers, tools and quad bikes.

You can reduce the chances of such equipment being stolen and increase their chances of recovery by following the guidelines below :

1. Never leave tools or equipment lying outside, even for short time
2. Store tools and machines in a safe place – a secure shed or garage
3. Fit good quality locks to garages, sheds – use British standard locks
4. Consider fitting an alarm and/or security lighting to your storage facility
5. Disable ride-on lawnmowers and other ride on/large machines
6. Chain machine together or to ground anchorage points
7. Record make, model and serial numbers and any distinguishing marks. Use metal engravers with your postcode and house number or name

Remember:

• The longer a thief takes to steal something
• The more visible they are
• The more noise they make
• The riskier it is to dispose of property
• The greater the chance is that they will be caught

If you want any further information or advice regarding crime prevention measures, please contact the Crime Reduction Officer on 01795 419340