CF Stole my hedge

[12FreeRangeEggs]

We live in a naice part of London which thinks it’s the countryside but is actually just a green suburb. To the side and front of my property is our hedge. It’s a mix hedge; Holly, Ivy and other trees. Our Holly has been very good this autumn and we have lots of red berries. I make a door wreath for my front door each Christmas, and I usually forage from my own hedge to make my wreath. So far this year I haven’t gotten around to it but was hoping to make my wreath this weekend.

Well, I returned this afternoon and there was a lady stood on my driveway with a large blue IKEA bag in one hand and a pair of pruners in the other, helping herself to my holly.

I politely challenged her, but she didn’t seem to think that she was doing anything wrong helping herself to my Holly in my hedge. Infact when I protested that I was going to make my own wreath with my own Holly she told me she had a business making Christmas wreaths and usually only made 10 a season despite huge demand because she simply doesn’t have the time but was willing to make a professional wreath for me using my own Holly and charge me £85. I, less politely this time, declined her offer for a professional wreath and asked for my Holly back. She refused and accused me of being bitter and uncharitable.

Basically it is theft! In much the same way as if a neighbour's tree overhangs your garden, you are allowed to trim the offending branches but you MUST return them to your neighbour or it is theft. I would argue it could be trespass also. This happened to my mum whose front garden path is lined both sides with beautiful mature lavender bushes that look spectacular. My mum came out one day to find a woman with a pair of scissors helping herself who claimed she didn't think my mum would mind because there was a lot of it. My mother was having none of it and called her a thief and told her to get out of her garden at the top of her voice and she shamed this woman further by saying 'If you had knocked my door and asked, I would happily have cut some for you but you chose to steal my lavender and you will have none!'. I would tell her that if you see her doing it again, you will call the police and BTW, you have cameras so she shouldn't think she can sneak back under cover of darkness! CF off the scale! She is a thief!

Film her back stealing people’s property and tell her you’re going to report her!

This is such 1st world problem...

from what the OP has said, it was a bit more than "some twigs" For me it would depend on thet state of the hedge after the greenery was stolen. If it was returned in an ikea bag, I suspect it was more than "some twigs"

Hello CFer on MN 👋🏽
Ckearly recognised herself and realised she was goi for be reported for theft. You’re an arsehole and stop bloody stealing!
@12FreeRangeEggs yoir DD sounds great!

Yes, my bet too!😹😹
What a cheeky Mare!

one plant 42 quid. more if its JC van Tol or Golden King which are self fertile and guarantee berries. https://www.hedgesdirect.co.uk/english-holly-ilex-aquifolium-125-150cm-root-ball?utm_term=&utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=PMax&campaign_id=21005095131&ad_group_id=&ad_id=&keyword_id=&gad_source=1&gbraid=0AAAAAD909LMp_c1lCuFDjyDvULDd8kTXv&gclid=Cj0KCQiApNW6BhD5ARIsACmEbkUjyq1lmfBh9vi289sY0yKR3NyGVkfQu32H_R5doIWBpWH3G1tOM5YaAsA_EALw_wcB

If you have a local Facebook group, put a post out about her informing her clients she uses stollen Holly to profit out of her efforts. They may think twice about using her.

Only in the UK would someone politely challenge a person stealing from you. 😫😂

They wouldn't be blue lighting it for what (to them) is petty theft. Police these days have far too much stuff to deal with, calls are prioritized and this (IMO) wouldn't merit a same day response, let alone an immediate one. You could report it online, which might generate a "crime number" but that's about it.

Exactly. The idea that this merits a 999 call is laughable.

And you seriously think the Police will respond?

No one said call 999; it would be a non-emergency call if called.

That said, I would post on the local pages that she enters private property and steals holly for her expensive, profit-making wreaths, including your holly which you had planned on using to make your own wreath! Now you have to spend money for a wreath for your own door after going to the trouble to grow your own holly! It'd note the bag of holly she returned in the dark after being called out for her behaviour was unusable as she'd only returned small, difficult unusable pieces.

Under Sadiq Khan, no one including the Police Officers are sure what their job is.

5 days to attend for a Porsche stolen from a driveway! That sums up the Police’s response time in London

Because it’s an expensive car? Honestly, what do you think..

I can tell you are not a gardener. If the plant had been really hacked back it will take years to grow again and may not survive.

What an absolute prize ar*e of a woman! You must have been absolutely livid...the brass neck on people never ceases to amaze me.

No - it stand for cheeky fucker.