Cash boost for allotments

Gardeners in a Staffordshire village have received a cash injection to help them beef up security at allotments repeatedly targeted by thieves.

Allotment holders in Cheslyn Hay have been plagued by vandals who have broken into the allotments, in Wolverhampton Road, and stolen produce as well as vandalising sheds and damaging equipment. Things are looking up for the 130 allotment holders now they have been given £7,624 by the Lottery's Awards For All scheme to help them buy new fencing and gates.

The management committee for the Cheslyn Hay Allotment Association say their plans should hopefully keep out the troublemakers and protect property.

Part of the money will be used to replace 4ft gates with new 6ft gates to prevent people climbing into the allotments and also the cash will provide new palisade fencing between the allotments and Cheslyn Hay Cemetery where many of the vandals are thought to get in.

The association are also hoping to make the allotments safer by extending the entrance from Wolverhampton Road.

This latest attempt to safeguard the allotments in Cheslyn Hay follows numerous schemes in the past which have so far failed to stop the problem.

In March vandals sabotaged allotments during a spate of attacks after cutting through barbed wire at the site in just one month as many as 50 gardens were raided.

Volunteers at the allotments have even grown rose bushes on the boundary to try and deter thieves but to no avail.

At one stage members of the association were forced to mount all night vigils to keep the criminals out."

Lynn Foster, secretary for the association, said: "The committee are over the moon at getting this funding. We have been having problems with vandals coming in and wrecking things for years.

Chairman Bill Foster added: "I was delighted when we found out we had the money. It has not been easy but this should hopefully make a difference."