Lawn and disorder

This is the story of Sharon, Stan, Stephen and Charlie. It’s the story of four ordinary Peterborough folk. But a warning before you read on it’s quite depressing.

The quartet are all allotment holders in Malborne Way, Orton Malborne. Last week the PT reported how thieves had struck at their allotments nine times in 11 days - yes that’s right nine times in 11 days.

Lawn mowers, a tiller and a chainsaw were among the items grabbed by the thieves.

I’m sure their story surprises no-one – a shrug of sympathy here, a raised eyebrow of exasperation there –but this is typical of the low level crime that blights too many lives in this city.

The police, to give them their due, have throughly-investigated the thefts even sending in forensic experts (wouldn’t it make a great CSI episode?) but site rep Charlie is not confident arrests will follow. He said resignedly: “These people can get away with it and they do.’’

He’s right and that’s the depressing part.

Equally, depressing was a call I took from a resident complaining about a man who has been living in a van near her home for months.

She and her neighbours were clearly at their wit’s end particularly as they said the man was using a children’s play area as his toilet.

The police had been called but without evidence of a crime have been unable to do anything but encourage the man to move on.

Anti-social behaviour and low-level crime has a huge detrimental impact on too many people. Often there is little that can be done except to grin and bear it. But sometimes there are small things that can make a difference.

So if somebody offers you a good deal on a lawn mower, you know what to do... for Sharon, Stan, Stephen and Charlie.