Thefts of Gardening Machinery, Golf Equipment and Sat Navs

Published on: 10 Sep, 2012
Updated on: 10 Sep, 2012

Thefts in which a range of items from gardening and golf equipment to jewellery and vehicle satellite navigation systems (sat navs) have taken place across Guildford during the past two weeks.

Mark Coupland (left) with two former Plantation Trading trainees, Raf and Dan, in front of the now empty lock up unit.

The lock up unit where Guildford YMCA’s Plantation Trading gardening machinery is stored was again broken into over the weekend of September 1 and 2. This time the thieves cut through chains and padlocks to remove garden tools used to offer training and hope for local young people.

Plantation Trading offers real work in a safe environment. Young people work alongside Mark Coupland, an experienced gardener and youth worker, who mentors them and develops their practical skills. They maintain a range of small to medium sized gardens regularly through the summer, and the loss of much of the project’s machinery at this stage is a major blow.

Mark said: “When we lost so much at a previous break in last November I was gutted, but this time it’s even worse. When I heard the news I could hardly believe it. Now we’re just trying to pick up the pieces and move on, but obviously our ongoing work has come to an abrupt halt with no machinery.”

Hopefully Plantation Trading will be able to get back on track soon. With the end of the growing season approaching Mark will be looking for small to medium landscaping projects to offer his trainees fresh opportunities to develop their skills and knowledge. Anyone considering a garden project over the winter can call him on 07909 848064 for a free estimate.

Thousands of pounds worth of golf equipment and clothing has been stolen following two break-ins within a fortnight at Guildford Golf Club.

Thieves smashed their way into the golf shop at a club in Grove Road, Merrow, and made off with golf drivers and putters, valued at tens of thousands of pounds. The first break in took place sometime between 7.15pm on Monday, August 27, and 7.30am the following day, with the second break in taking place sometime between 3.30am and 4am, onWednesday, September 5.

Detectives are urging anyone who may have seen or heard any suspicious activity in the vicinity of the golf club to call Surrey Police on 101 and quote reference GD/12/8153. Alternatively Crimestoppers can be contacted anonymously on 0800 555 111.

A recent crime round up issued by Surrey Police via Neighbour Watch lists further burglaries in the Onslow area of Guildford. Sometime between 10am on Saturday, August 25, and 12.30pm on Wednesday, August 28, burglars entered a house in Manor Way, Onslow Village, and stole the contents of a jewellery box.

Sometime between 4.30pm on Friday, August 31, and 4.30pm, Monday, September, 3, thieves broke into a a house in the Oval and stole a laptop computer and an Xbox games consul.

Thieves stole a sat nav and a pair of Ray Ban sunglasses from a Nissan Micra car parked in The Crossways sometime between noon on Tuesday, September 4, and 8.30am on Wednesday, September 5. At about the same time in the same street a Nissan Micra van was also targeted and another sat nav was stolen.

Other recent thefts involving vehicles include a sat nav stolen from a BMW parked in Walnut Tree Close overnight on Saturday, September 1; two iPods, a pair of sunglasses and a jacket taken from a car parked in the owner’s drive in Cardwells Keep, Stoughton, overnight on Thursday, August 30; and yet another sat nav taken from a Toyota parked in MacDowell Road, Queen Elizabeth Park, Stoughton, sometime between 5pm on Sunday, September 2, and 3.30pm on Tuesday, September 4.