Over 1,500 items have been security marked during the summer months by City of York Council working alongside North Yorkshire Police and the city’s allotment associations.

As part of the new York Allotments Against Crime campaign, the security marker was funded by a Police and Crime Commissioner’s Community Fund grant awarded to Bootham Stray Allotment Association – with support from City of York Council.

Property marking events have run from early July until September with hundreds of people turning up to have some 1,500 items marked and recorded. Should they be stolen and retrieved they will be more quickly returned to the owner and, if possible, used as evidence.

Councillor Nigel Ayre, Executive Member for Culture, Leisure and Tourism at City of York Council, said: “This is a great result for the allotment tenants on our 18 sites. At Low Moor Allotments, 246 items were marked, at Holgate 180 while on the last session at Scarcroft and Hospital Fields Allotment, we secure 167 items. Backed by a social media campaign under the #whatisdotpeen hashtag and with our partners at North Yorkshire Police, this campaign is helping reassure allotment holders and increase their enjoyment of gardening.”

Councillor David Carr, Executive Member for Housing and Safer Neighbourhoods, said: “We continue to advise allotment holders to take any valuable tools home with them or ensure larger items are securely anchored or chained in a locked shed. These markers are a real asset in the fight against allotment crime and, following this success, we hope to repeat the scheme next year.”

For more information on the York Allotments Against Crime (YAAC) and further tool marking opportunities please contact Darren Lovatt on allotments@york.gov.uk or go to https://www.york.gov.uk/allotments