• [Dailystar Icon]
• News
• Weird News
• Crime

Garden gnome lovers urged by cops to set up cameras after wild new crime trend

EXCLUSIVE For the year up to March 2024, a whopping 517,000 items have been nicked from gardens, with over 200 of these being garden gnomes and other ornaments - theyre surprisingly popular targets

[Garden Gnomes]

Keep a close eye on your garden gnome(Image: Getty Images)

Garden gnome lovers are being urged to set up cameras to protect their ornaments after a spate of thefts. A Freedom of Information Act revealed hundreds of the rosy cheeked garden dwellers and ornaments have been stolen in the last four years.

It comes as crime figures at the end of March 2024 for England and Wales showed there were a staggering 517,000 thefts from gardens last year. And more than 200 of the items reported to just a handful of constabularies were garden gnomes and garden ornaments.

Jason Mennie, managing director and bespoke garden rooms expert at Haon Garden Rooms said residents may need to take action to protect their pottery people.

[Garden Gnomes]

More than 200 garden gnomes and other ornaments were nicked last year(Image: Getty Images)

He said: Garden gnomes might seem like a whimsical addition to your outdoor space, but theyre surprisingly popular targets for thieves.

The data shows that these charming ornaments are frequently stolen, with some constabularies reporting dozens of garden ornaments, including gnomes, being taken each year.

To protect your outdoor decorations, consider anchoring them securely or placing them in less visible areas of your garden.

[Garden Gnomes]

People have been advised to set up cameras to deter thefts(Image: Getty Images)

For particularly valuable or sentimental items, discreet motion-activated cameras or tracking devices can help safeguard your beloved gnomes.

This comes as it's discovered a Scottish islet is slowly being taken over by gnomes - and no one knows why. Dubbed 'Gnome Island', it's covered with garden gnomes but no one knows how or why.

[Garden Gnomes]

Or you could attach tracking devices on them(Image: Getty Images/iStockphoto)

The gnomes inhabit Swallow Craig, a rock just off Inchcolm Island in the Firth of Forth which was first spotted littered with miniature garden characters in 2010.

One theory suggests a local fisherman or woman is behind the bizarre backyard army. Folklore now tells a different story, however, of gnomes making a daring escape from a nearby garden centre, fleeing up the Forth under the cover of darkness.

Alternatively of course, they were shipwrecked and have since been stranded on the island for the past 14 years.

[Dailystar Icon]

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

Choose Daily Star as a 'Preferred Source' on Google News for quick access to the news you value.