I want revenge on plant thief

[TuppyBarmyFotheringale]

I finally got around to filling up the two large planters in front of my house… and within two weeks, only two out of the twelve original shrubs remain! Someone has been taking them, one at a time, a few days apart!

Please let me know how I can exact revenge. Replacing the stolen goods with something prickly doesn't seem enough.

The plants have clearly been dug out leaving nice round holes.
(Would squirrels eat lavender?)

Yes, we pay service charges to the management company but apparently the CCTV is under "data protection" regulations.

Surely, you'd be able to discern which front garden has these particular plants grouped on their patch. This way, you'll know for sure, it may or not be one of the residents have taken these. Could be one their regular visitors, though?

I found this op. Seems you need to request to view cctv officially...

Two legged squirrels with gardening implements... Squirrels and foxes make a very different type of mess and the plants are there.

@TuppyBarmyFotheringale , Shrubs do get stolen, as do hanging baskets when they were popular. A sign saying ''Please return our plants''?..Not that they will be returned.
Selfish gits.

Thanks! I will look into this.

Ask for the terms and conditions of your management committee re CCTV, specifically where it says residents are not allowed to view same. CCTV is there to protect you, the resident. Then you can go to the police. However, sadly, I fear the police will not see this as a priority. You may, however, be able to identify the culprit and may think it appropriate to approach them?

Sorry, should have said you can go to the police when you've viewed it!

I'm a terrible person... There's this thing in Brazil called "mico powder" and basically it stings so much you have to scratch, the more you scratch the more it stings.
I'd be tempted to plant more stuff, throw that powder over the plants.... and then wait for the person with bright red hands to come along!

I’ve been SO ANGRY about some arsehole picking the flowers in my front garden. I was going to put a ranty post on our village Facebook page. I mean, I jnow
my flowers are beautiful. If they’d have only asked, I’d have probably let them pick some.

Anyway. Then I remembered we have muntjac deer and badgers strolling past our house most evenings.

The neighbourhood foxes steal anything I plant. I've got CCTV of the fuckers. I can't even plant bulbs without them digging them up. Bought some matting that was supposed to deter them from the borders, and they dug that up too! Arseholes.

I would plant pyracantha in your planters, it is relatively cheap (saw some today in Morrisons £2) plant it deep. It is nasty to touch with bare hands and requires thick gardening gloves, its evergreen, has white blossoms late Spring and colourful berries in Autumn

Wonderful! I shall get some of that.

It's definitely not wildlife. The planters are raised and are behind iron railings. I wondered if putting a row of spikes on the top of the railings would deter people from reaching over (they are flat at the moment) but our management company said we can't do that as we'll be liable if someone injures themselves while trying to steal our plants!

@Pansypotter123 I will do that. Thanks for the info.