Secure storage

[cstocks]

I have a small Sweet CHestnut woodland (2 Ha) in East Sussex, which I coppice and keep bees in. Since the wood is within walking distance of my home, I have a small wooden shed there where I keep basic (safe) tools, and beekeeping equipment.

When I first erected the shed it ws broken into a few times, but little was taken, so I gave up locking it. It got entered occasionally, but the worst that happened was the door was left open. Unfortunately, I've had the shed damaged and a number of items stolen on two separate occasions over the course of the last few weeks, so I need to replace it with something more secure.

Unfortunately, simple metal sheds that can be purchased inexpensively are no more secure than the wooden one, and sheds that are theft- and vandal-resistant appear to cost about £1000.

Has anyone come across anything that's secure, but doesn't cost so much?

Thanks,

Colin

[Solar Wood]

It would be nice if we did not have to go to these extents, we have been lucky so far and have not been a victim (touch wood)(easy to do). We are quite far within a large wood and removal of a maul (£12 ish) or a dashal basher (£10 ish) may not be profitable /practical but a neighbour had a ladder stolen.

How about a hidey hole in the ground covered with twigs and branches if the soil conditions permit also a few man pits for the intruders/thieves. Some designs could be googled from America/Vietnam War web sites. The other choice is a large steel tool locker?

[Binz]

"How about a hidey hole in the ground covered with twigs and branches " useful for catching heffalumps too!

I use a waterbutt with a padlocked lid, laid on its side in a low spot where it cant be seen by passers by and covered with old wood with a layer of soil and leaves on top of that.

[RichardKing]

Wheelie Bin buried to ground level

[cstocks]

It's very tempting to place man traps and the like, but the woods are probably too accessible, and if my partner's nephew and nieces fell in....... Besides, digging large holes in that area of woodland is VERY hard work.

Ideally, I need something rather larger than buried storage, though I could use that for the tools. I'd like to prevent the risk of damage/arson to the beehives, which are stacked up in the shed, and need quite a lot of space.

Thanks for the responses.

[RichardKing]

In my opinion any visible storage structure will attract thieves.

Even steel shipping containers are insecure.

Apparently two of them (complete with contents) were stolen from woods near mine.

Also the late Ray Bradshaw showed me the shipping container in his wood. An attempted break in caused such damage to the lock that he had to call out a locksmith to get it open.

The farm 100 yards from my house had an outbuilding broken into by cutting through a heavy padlock. This was on a summers afternoon & the theives only fled when they triggered an alarm when tackling an inner steel door.

When I asked the farmer why he had not fitted steel gates & an even heavier lock on the outside, he said that it would make it even more attractive to thieves as it would suggest items of greater value inside.

The police expressed the opiion that given time thieves are capable of breaking into anything !

[tracy]

We have a small 3 sided open shelter with everything kind of on view. Nothing looks like it is worth stealing....

[Darren]

Same here, Tracy. We have a open sided bender. Two cheap axes, cooking stuff and some hurricane lanterns.

We are lucky because we are in the middle of nowhere the only trouble we get is horse riders.

[cagsley]

We have been having a fair bit of trouble recently. Our neighbour had a tractor stolen. The theives half cut the chain on the main gate and when that didn't work they rammed it wit a car. They have destroyed a caravan(door smaahed off). Burnt down a kitchen shelter. Located a locked buried barrel and bust it open(luckily empty due to previous problems. They are now reduced to taking the tow hitch off a logging arch and an ornamental treeface. Police are just not interested! My neighbour even gave the police a car reg number. We are going to set up a wildlife cam to see if we can get photos. Until this is resolved we are trying to leave nothing there and hoping they will get bored. Woodlands are being good and are reolacing the gate and repairing boundary fence etc. We will not be beaten though. Ten 18year olds being imported for bank hols. if that doesn't put them off nowt will.

[tracy]

I am so sorry to hear that, it's maddening, and you will have to force the police to do something! Criminal damage and theft, grrrr.

I believe that if you set up a camera, you have to have a CCTV sign up, but then of course, on private land where you are looking at get pictures of animals....

I hope the 18 year olds help. Do you have local dog walkers and such that you could recruit to help you keep an eye on things?

All the best for this, keep us updated on how you are getting on

Tracy