Protecting your beloved garden

We are trying to get people to treat the property they keep in their gardens, sheds and garages in the same way they do the stuff they have in their homes.

Are your bikes, tools, BBQ and lawn mower covered under your home insurance? Are they security marked through etching or a forensic liquid like SmartWater and listed on an online register such as www.immobilise.com? Do you chain large items together or anchor them to a fixed point so it is harder to remove them? Stop me if I’m stating the obvious, but do you keep your shed door and garden gate locked?

You should be doing all of the above, where possible, if you value your stuff.

And remember, gnomes and other garden ornaments are not immune to theft. What measures do you have in place to protect them?

When Jed, my garden gnome, went missing from my yard I was half expecting to then start receiving postcards in the mail from him in exotic destinations around the world, but they never came. Jed had been stolen.

As ridiculous as it may seem, some people see pound signs on everything and if they think they can get a few quid from something they will take it.

Install security lights which activate if someone enters your garden at night and mark your pots and ornaments.

Most importantly report suspicious activity.