ANGRY gardeners on Minehead’s Marshfield Road allotments are suffering serious thefts of produce since the main gate has been left open as a part of covid-19 precautions, Minehead town councillors were told at their meeting on Monday.

They heard that many of the 50 gardeners on the site were pressing for the gates to be kept closed and locked, as they were on allotments in Taunton. It was also said that other Minehead allotments, which kept gates shut, had not suffered from produce thieves.

Cllr Mimi Palmer, who had led an inquiry into the problem, said there were a number of allotment tenants who were extremely concerned about the possibility of spreading covid-19 from handling allotment gates and a decision was made to keep gates open during daylight hours. But other tenants asked for the gates to be kept closed.

“We need to be mindful that people are very concerned about covid but there is also the problem of produce being stolen from allotments, and we need to work out just how we should proceed,” Cllr Palmer said.

Councillors heard from allotment-holder Gareth Latham who said he had had gardened on the Marshfield site for five years without having anything stolen.

“Since the gate has been opened during the corona crisis, produce has gone missing from at least half a dozen allotments and one gardener had a padlock cut from his shed.

“People have been able to wander into the allotments as they are passing by. Our allotments are the most vulnerable because you have access to the rose garden, the hospital and Premier Inn.

Mr Latham added: “All other allotments in the town keep their gates closed and have had no issues. We have only had thefts since the gate has been left open. Most gardeners wear gloves and there is no reason why they shouldn’t close the gate.

“A gardener near me has lost over 50 onions. People who would normally go to a supermarket for their produce are finding that they can get superior home-grown stuff for nothing. Gardeners on our allotments are constantly having produce stolen because there is simply no security.

Chairman Cllr Paul Bolton said he thought the gate should be kept shut: “You probably have more chance of picking up the virus by opening a shop door than opening an allotment gate.”

Cllr Helena Rose said that, as an allotment holder, she sympathised with the plight of the Marshfield Road gardeners and that if the gate was kept shut hand sanitisers would help to solve the problem.

Cllr Anne Lawton said that having fruit and vegetables stolen was a fact of allotment life and that a time when people were struggling for money, allotment produce might look more attractive than it would under normal circumstances: “If someone is determined to steal produce, whether a gate is open or closed is not going to make a lot of difference,” she said.

Cllr Beresford Mandley added: “I do sympathise with the gardeners. If you have spent hours lovingly growing crops it is devastating when they go missing. But sadly, it happens.”

Acting town clerk Bryan Howe said that the council’s gardening staff had recommended that the main gate be kept locked and a smaller gate fitted, which could be secured by a combination lock.

Cllr Palmer said: “The options we came up with were to keep things as they are, either having the gate closed or open during daylight hours, and review how the covid situation changes

“Another alternative is to install a small kissing gate which could be pushed open and closed. But if this was locked, with 50 allotments it would mean 50 to 100 people having keys.” But other councillors suggested that a lock with number code was a possibility.

Mr Latham said he would like to see a system similar to that used on Taunton allotments where the main gate was locked and opened by a council official as and when necessary. Gardeners used a smaller gate. He recommended a lock with a numbered code.

After a 30-minute discussion, it was agreed to refer the matter to the amenities and environment committee to come up with a solution to the problem.