このページはフレーム対応ブラウザ用に作成されています。下のリンクは非フレーム使用ページですのでそちらをご覧ください。
この記事をプリントする
ガーテニングブームで泥棒も発生
英国では今、ガーデニングが大ブーム。庭の手入れをしながらストレスを発散する人が多く、養樹園やガーデニングのテレビ番組は大盛況です。しかし、その人気に比例して、鉢植えから置物、庭木から池の中の魚まで、ごっそり盗んでいく泥棒が増えています。
Homeowners, Thieves Alike Following Gardening Boom
By STEVE HILL
British people are known to the world over for their love of gardens. But recently,
those beloved gardens have become a very real target for thieves. Police forces up and
down the country are reporting a worrying increase in crime connected to the sedate
hobby of gardening, which has become big business in recent years.
Here in my city of Bristol, in southwest England, a husband and wife returned to their
home one day to find that their entire garden had been dug up and stolen. Incredibly,
every tree, shrub and bush had been uprooted; ponds had been drained — and the
fish they contained stolen; and the pond-liners and pond pumps had been taken in a
raid that surprised and saddened many people.
The police, though, were not too shocked. As interest in gardening increases and more
and more people spend time tending their plots, the criminal fraternity is realizing
that there's money to be made from raiding homes.
In another recent incident, a prize-winning garden in Windsor, near London, was raided,
and shrubs, pots and ornaments all disappeared.
And it's not just private gardens that are being targeted. A nursery in the western
town of Swindon was forced to call in the police and launch a national publicity
campaign when pots containing a poisonous plant were taken.
Eating the leaves and flowers from this particular plant can result in pain, dizziness
and numbness — something the police reckoned the thieves had not bargained for
when they planned to raid the nursery and make some quick and easy money.
Local hospitals were put on alert to ensure that anyone admitted for treatment
could live to tell the tale — to the police, they hoped.
It was also reported recently that a publicity campaign has been launched on the
Channel island of Jersey, off the coast of France, to help local farmers halt a
massive increase in potato thefts. New potatoes are a vital agricultural export, but
growers are facing tough competition from producers overseas, and now, wholesale raids.
It's depressing and worrying news for anyone who has a garden. These days, everything
appears to be a target, from hanging baskets to garden gnomes, chairs, tables and
hedges — even the prickly varieties!
Police are advising householders to lock belongings such as tools away, and to mark
garden furniture with a post code to assist in returning any stolen objects that are
found. But the most important advice is simple — if possible, bolt down whatever will
move.
So, why should gardens become such a major target for the criminal fraternity now? Well,
many British people are trying to spend more time relaxing and winding down from their
stressful working lives by whiling away a few hours gardening.
Nurseries are reporting booming business. Brits spend a reported £2 billion (¥340
billion) a year on their gardens and accessories.
Another reason is the proliferation of gardening programs on television that
attract massive audiences.
One of the most popular shows features a team of gardeners and designers who
descend on a house and, with the consent of one member of the household, complete
a makeover of the garden in just two days — without other people in the household
knowing.
It makes for gripping viewing, as do other programs that concentrate on increasing
public knowledge of plants, shrubs and trees.
More and more people are following the examples shown on these programs and
installing water features in their own gardens.
It's become very fashionable to have a pond adorned with pebbles — with the direct
result that some beaches in southern Britain are starting to suffer.
Since time began, people have often returned home with a nicely shaped pebble in
their pocket after visiting the coast. But unscrupulous raiders are now filling up
vans and small lorries with these stones — and there is a very real fear that some
beaches will almost disappear if it continues.
It seems that here in Britain we just cannot get enough of gardens and gardening.
This year, for example, more than 3,500 private gardens will specially open their gates
to visitors under the popular National Gardens Scheme.
The vast majority of visitors, of course, are enchanted by the opportunity to
wander around a lovingly tended garden and pleased that the admission money is going
to a good cause. But not all. It has been reported that some visitors have used the
chance to carry out reconnaissance work for a raid at a later date.
British people are known to the world over for their love of gardens. But recently,
those beloved gardens have become a very real target for thieves. Police forces up and
down the country are reporting a worrying increase in crime connected to the sedate
hobby of gardening, which has become big business in recent years.
Here in my city of Bristol, in southwest England, a husband and wife returned to their
home one day to find that their entire garden had been dug up and stolen. Incredibly,
every tree, shrub and bush had been uprooted; ponds had been drained — and the
fish they contained stolen; and the pond-liners and pond pumps had been taken in a
raid that surprised and saddened many people.
The police, though, were not too shocked. As interest in gardening increases and more
and more people spend time tending their plots, the criminal fraternity is realizing
that there's money to be made from raiding homes.
In another recent incident, a prize-winning garden in Windsor, near London, was raided,
and shrubs, pots and ornaments all disappeared.
And it's not just private gardens that are being targeted. A nursery in the western
town of Swindon was forced to call in the police and launch a national publicity
campaign when pots containing a poisonous plant were taken.
Eating the leaves and flowers from this particular plant can result in pain, dizziness
and numbness — something the police reckoned the thieves had not bargained for
when they planned to raid the nursery and make some quick and easy money.
Local hospitals were put on alert to ensure that anyone admitted for treatment
could live to tell the tale — to the police, they hoped.
It was also reported recently that a publicity campaign has been launched on the
Channel island of Jersey, off the coast of France, to help local farmers halt a
massive increase in potato thefts. New potatoes are a vital agricultural export, but
growers are facing tough competition from producers overseas, and now, wholesale raids.
It's depressing and worrying news for anyone who has a garden. These days, everything
appears to be a target, from hanging baskets to garden gnomes, chairs, tables and
hedges — even the prickly varieties!
Police are advising householders to lock belongings such as tools away, and to mark
garden furniture with a post code to assist in returning any stolen objects that are
found. But the most important advice is simple — if possible, bolt down whatever will
move.
So, why should gardens become such a major target for the criminal fraternity now? Well,
many British people are trying to spend more time relaxing and winding down from their
stressful working lives by whiling away a few hours gardening.
Nurseries are reporting booming business. Brits spend a reported £2 billion (¥340
billion) a year on their gardens and accessories.
Another reason is the proliferation of gardening programs on television that
attract massive audiences.
One of the most popular shows features a team of gardeners and designers who
descend on a house and, with the consent of one member of the household, complete
a makeover of the garden in just two days — without other people in the household
knowing.
It makes for gripping viewing, as do other programs that concentrate on increasing
public knowledge of plants, shrubs and trees.
More and more people are following the examples shown on these programs and
installing water features in their own gardens.
It's become very fashionable to have a pond adorned with pebbles — with the direct
result that some beaches in southern Britain are starting to suffer.
Since time began, people have often returned home with a nicely shaped pebble in
their pocket after visiting the coast. But unscrupulous raiders are now filling up
vans and small lorries with these stones — and there is a very real fear that some
beaches will almost disappear if it continues.
It seems that here in Britain we just cannot get enough of gardens and gardening.
This year, for example, more than 3,500 private gardens will specially open their gates
to visitors under the popular National Gardens Scheme.
The vast majority of visitors, of course, are enchanted by the opportunity to
wander around a lovingly tended garden and pleased that the admission money is going
to a good cause. But not all. It has been reported that some visitors have used the
chance to carry out reconnaissance work for a raid at a later date.
Shukan ST: May 19, 2000
(C) All rights reserved
- beloved
- 最愛の
- sedate
- 穏やかな
- had been dug up and stolen
- 掘り起こされ盗まれた
- Incredibly
- 信じられないことに
- shrub
- 潅木
- bush
- 低木
- had been uprooted
- 引き抜かれた
- had been drained
- 水を抜かれた
- pond-liners
- 池の中敷き
- raid
- 泥棒の襲撃
- saddened
- 悲しませた
- tending their plots
- 敷地を手入れする
- criminal fraternity
- 犯罪者集団
- pots
- 鉢植え
- ornaments
- 装飾品
- nursery
- 苗木場
- national publicity campaign
- 全国的な広報活動
- poisonous
- 有毒の
- dizziness
- めまい
- numbness
- しびれ、まひ
- reckoned
- 推測した
- had not bargained for
- 予想していなかった
- make some quick and easy money
- ぬれ手で粟(あわ)の金儲けをする
- were put on alert
- 警戒態勢におかれた
- ensure
- 確実にする
- 〜 admitted for treatment
- 病院で治療を受けた 〜
- live to tell the tale
- 恐ろしい体験を話す
- Channel island of Jersey
- チャンネル諸島のジャージー島
- halt
- 止める
- thefts
- 盗難
- vital
- 重要な
- agricultural export
- 輸出用農作物
- wholesale raids
- 丸ごとごっそり盗むこと
- depressing
- 気のめいる
- hanging baskets
- 鉢植えをつるすカゴ
- garden gnomes
- 庭の置物にする妖精ノームの像
- hedges
- 生け垣
- prickly varieties
- とげのある木の生け垣
- lock 〜 away
- 〜 をしまい込む
- belongings
- 所有物
- post code
- 郵便番号
- bolt down
- 地面にボルトで固定する
- winding down from 〜
- 〜 の緊張をほぐす
- whiling away
- ゆったりと過ごす
- Brits
- イギリス人
- proliferation
- 急増
- attract massive audiences
- 大勢の視聴者を引きつける
- features
- 取り上げる
- descend
- 不意討ちをかける
- consent
- 同意
- household
- 家庭
- makeover
- 造り直し
- gripping viewing
- 視聴者を引きつける番組
- (are)installing 〜
- 〜 を備え付ける
- water features
- 池、滝、噴水など
- 〜 adorned with pebbles
- 小石で飾られた 〜
- suffer
- 被害をこうむる
- Since time began
- 昔から
- unscrupulous
- 恥知らずな
- small lorries
- 小型トラック
- National Gardens Scheme
- 全国庭園計画(庭園を一般公開し収益をチャリティー活動にあてる運動。1927年から始まった)
- vast majority of 〜
- 〜 の大半
- are enchanted by 〜
- 〜 にうっとりさせられた
- admission money
- 入園料
- good cause
- 大儀
- reconnaissance work
- 偵察