Thieves are latest garden pests

They are easy to pick up and left unsupervised for hours on end – and thousands of them end up being sold off at car boot sales across the region.

Today police said they were determined to crack down on thefts of plants and pots from gardens as the summer season starts in earnest. Thefts from gardens in the region are on the increase, with plants, trees and ornaments being targeted by raiders.

The horticultural crimewave has become so great that police forces have launched their own campaign warning gardeners not to rest on their laurels when it comes to keeping their green spaces safe.

High on the thieves' wish lists are expensive blooms including potted 'specimen' plants such as topiary and Cordyline. Small plants in attractive pots are tempting to thieves as they are expensive but easy to carry away or load into the back of a van.

Mick Guise, manager of Midlandscapes in Birches Barn Road, Wolverhampton, said garden thefts were a big problem. He said: "Specimen plants in containers are targeted because thieves can easily take the whole thing.

"But they will also break into sheds to take tools and steal hanging baskets."

In Kidderminster and Stourport, there are around 1,000 break-ins on sheds every year. Such is the extent of the problem, West Midlands, Staffordshire and West Mercia Police have launched their own websites to tackle the menace.

Sgt David Cotton, crime reduction officer for West Midlands Police, said: "Tools may be of little value to you, but they may be very valuable to a burglar."