To wonder if this can really be classed as stealing

[bittersweetvictory]

I live at about 2 minutes away from the sea shore and wanted some stones to make a border in my garden, i needed about 20 so went down this afternoon with my son to collect some, i was in the middle of doing just that when an old man came tearing out his house screaming at me that what i was doing was stealing and that if i didnt stop then he was calling the police, i thought he was joking but he kept ranting and raving at me, i took them anyway and told him to go ahead and told him my address, the shore stretches for about 3 mile and there must be about 64848465757 million stones on the shore, is this really classed as stealing ? can the police actually do anything ?

well MumblingRagDoll if everyone owns them then so do i, i just decided to have my share in my garden

umm, ok. No cliffs on my beach, just an awful lot of stones.
What about all the sand on my car and windows when its windy? I should probably lug it back across the road to the beach rather than wash it off. My bad.

and the tide was out so they were no where near the cliffs, do you seriously think that i would take stones from a sea defence wall when i live a kick in the arse from the sea and my house could end up under water.

Well I doubt many people would risk taking that last stone that was supporting an entire cliff. I have driven my car home from a beach with the rear about 6" lower due to the weight of lovely granite stones.

Nice attitude. Do you chuck your rubbish on the street too?

After all...you pay tax...it's YOURS to damage isn't it?

OP sorry, thought the debate had widened to include shells too - fairly sure someone mentioned them.

Valium then you're a prat. Obviously not just one stone is supporting a cliff . It's the cumulative effect.... argh, you know what, not even going to bother - just read MaryZ post.

Ach it's just some stones, calm down woman.

Timefor I hope your "lovely granite stones" choke you.

No *Valium" it's the ENTIRE FUCKING beach that ends up affected.

They look great in my garden.

Also, would really like to know: would all the people who take stones from beaches also pick the wild daffodils I mentioned earlier? The ones growing on a nature reserve?

Because if you think it's rude to pick flowers from public areas, which I suspect many would, then why is it different for stones?

Some very strange opinions on here ( to which you are entitled ) but c,mon Maryz its hardly like stealing birds eggs, talking of birds eggs, a pair of seagulls have layed their eggs on my roof for the 7th year running, i fucking hate seagulls but thats another thread.

And before anyone accuses me of being ott...I will ALWAYS tell idiots who damage the environment with acts of theft and vandalism that they are ignorant wankers....and I will ALWAYS get passionate about it. And be proud to do so.

I wouldn't pick daffodils, as someone has bought them and gone to the trouble of planting them. So they own them. Nobody owns stones on a beach. They're a bit like clouds imo.

a woman I know who lives on the seafront went up and down all weekend filling her wheelbarrow with large beach stones for her garden!

It is just as bad as taking eggs...

how it can damage the eco system

jasper if I were you I would go up and down putting them all back!

MumblingRagDoll did you call me an ignorant wanker?

ok,ok mumblimgragdoll dont get you knickers in a twist, id better not go into detail about my loathing of seagull or you might spontaneously combust.

No Valium...that was your guilty conscience.

Oh hang on a minute....YES I DID!

I'm not fond of the chip stealing little beasts myself bitter so don't worry.

Blimey, what a furore! Personally i've taken stones from beaches, not loads, 3 or 4 pretty ones from Cornwall. Presumably people have been taking stones from beaches for the last thousand years or so, because they're pretty, or smooth to touch, or would do well as a doorstop or paperweight? And the beaches seem to be surviving OK? There is some erosion, but who's to say that wouldn't have happened anyway?

Chill out, ffs.