Shed break on Harvester Drive

Good morning, all,

In the last week we have received a report of a shed broken into around the HARVESTER DRIVE area of COTTAM. This occurred around 5.45 am on the 14th of March 2026. Our police log for reference is LC-20260314-0295. On this occasion a single person has entered the rear garden area, entered the shed and stolen a black Carrera mountain bike. From enquiries completed we believe the suspect was around the Maxy House Road area around 6am and then was sighted going past the Cottam Nursery just after 6am. If you have any CCTV or video doorbell footage of anything suspicious around this time (namely a person on a bike) please don’t hesitate to get in touch with me directly. Thank you 

You may find the following tips useful to secure your shed:

🛡️ Keep Your Shed Secure This Year!

Shed break-ins are on the rise, but a few simple steps can make a big difference in keeping your tools, bikes and garden gear safe.

🔐 Reinforce the structure
Use solid hasps, coach bolts and upgraded hinges to strengthen weak doors and panels.

🔒Choose quality locks
Opt for closed-shackle or heavy-duty padlocks instead of cheap, easy-to-cut ones. Look out for the Kitemark mark or the BSI (British standards Institute mark) 

🪟 Secure windows
Add bars, mesh or privacy film so valuables can’t be seen or easily accessed.

⚓ Anchor valuable items
Use ground or wall anchors for bikes, mowers and power tools to slow thieves down.

💡 Add external security
Motion lights, cameras and even a gravel path can deter opportunists.

🚨 Use shed-friendly alarms
Battery-powered or smart alarms can alert you instantly if something’s up.

🖊️ Mark your property
UV pens or property-marking kits make stolen items harder to sell on.

As your local neighbourhood policing team, we offer free bike marking services where we can register your bike to the Bike Register which can often act as a deterrent to opportunist thieves and increases the chances of getting your bike back if it is recovered. Please just let me know. 

A few upgrades now can save you a lot of hassle later. Stay secure! 🔒✨

Thank you as always

PC Jenny