Allotment owners can sleep easy thanks to a new initiative being launched that is set to deter thieves.

Kent Police are set to security mark and paint garden implements such as forks, spades, and rakes, to make it easier to return the pinched props to their owners.

Ten allotments have so far signed up to the project that is set to run throughout Tonbridge and Malling, with each allotment being allocated a different colour.

Plot holders will also be assisted by Police Community Support Officers to etch their postcodes into the tools.

The police will work alongside local group Allotment Watch to expand the project throughout Tonbridge and Malling.

Police Constable John Fordham of the Tonbridge and Malling Community Safety Unit said: “The intention is to make it easy for officers and plot holders to identify which allotment a tool is associated with, should it be stolen.

“It will also make it harder for criminals to sell them on at places like car boot fairs. Both the paint and the etching will not only be difficult for criminals to remove, but also very time consuming.

“This is a simple way of protecting your property, but we are hopeful it can also be very effective at cutting crime.”

Further advice from Kent Police is to make sure your property is locked away securely.