You only have to turn on the television these days and you are bombarded with programs about antiques and garden statutory.
It all started with the long running and popular Antiques Roadshow but now there is a list of programs as long as your arm.
Of course if these items are valuable to collectors then they are equally valuable to thieves.
Working in some pretty prestigious settings over the years I was trusted and so were my teams with some very interesting and valuable garden ornaments.
The biggest problem with garden statutory is that to view it at its best it has to be in the garden and that is where the problem lies. Raiders will blatantly walk into a garden after parking in the drive or a lane next to it and just load it up without what seems a care in the world.
The rewards are big for them. Unscrupulous dealers and collectors will pay handsomely and they know they can sell it on for big money.
The thief can make several hundred pounds if not even into the thousands for a couple of hours work.
We had an extremely daring raid on a customers garden in Selborne when thieves removed a whole patio. Because the patio was worn York Paving it is extremely valuable at probably £70 per metre.
The terrace was at the front of a very old cottage in Honey lane which although a shortcut between Bordon and Selborne is very quiet during the day. The raiders must have taken at least 3-4 hours to lift the stone and remove it on a truck that we were astonished that they were so brazen.
If you have expensive items in your garden then make sure you photograph them and make notes of any distinguishing features so the details can be circulated via the Police or to dealer networks.
Dealers can sometimes be dodgy but the majority are honest traders and they are sick of the mud sticking. The Salvo site carries a code for dealers which is design to assist in making sure dealers know what they are buying and if they are in any doubt to call the Police.
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