Last updated at 17:02, Tuesday, 08 January 2013

ALLOTMENT holders have been left puzzled after 23 sheds were broken into – but barely anything was stolen.

The sheds had their locks damaged during the break-ins at the St Andrew’s Crossing allotments, on Barrow Island, overnight on Saturday into Sunday.

Although some items were stolen, most of the allotment-holders’ property was left behind.

Raymond Carter, 66 – who grows vegetables and keeps poultry at his allotment – was one of those affected.

He said although many of the sheds had been jemmied open, only a few had items taken from them.

“I had air rifles in mine and they never touched them,” he said.

However, a drill and a bicycle were among the items stolen from other allotments and sheds on the site.

Mr Carter believes whoever was responsible must have been disturbed in the act.

Although much of the site is surrounded by high fencing, it does not completely surround its eastern edge, said Mr Carter, of Wyre Green, Walney.

“They must have been looking for something specific, maybe electrical gear or something,” he said.

“That’s what I can’t understand, when you get lads breaking into allotments, generally they will kill chickens and things like that, but there was nothing.

“We can’t understand why they opened all the doors of a lot of them (the sheds) and left about five, we can’t weigh it up, maybe they were disturbed or something.”

Mr Carter said one allotment holder had found items piled on the floor of his shed, as though they had been placed there ready to be stolen but were not taken.

He said police and crimescene investigators had been at the site on Sunday and dusted for finger prints.

Police are asking nearby allotment holders to check if they have been victims of theft.

They have warned them to make sure their sheds and allotments are secure.

Anyone with any information, or who has been a victim of theft, is asked to call Barrow police on 101.

First published at 16:44, Tuesday, 08 January 2013
Published by http://www.nwemail.co.uk