Police in North Wales are warning residents about a wave of mysterious garden gnomes appearing in private gardens. Christmas-themed garden gnomes, to be precise.
Gnomes could be a way for burglars to identify their targets
This is actually the case, and although one would hope that it is just a kind of artistic performance to brighten someone's day, there could also be a less pleasant explanation. The gnomes have been appearing in Broughton in North Wales since early September, leaving residents between joy, confusion and outrage, because it is far too early for Christmas. As imaginative as that may sound, it may not be a prank, because the local police warn that the gnomes could be a means for burglars to identify potential targets for house robberies.
According to a statement on the Facebook page of HGC De Sir Fflint / NWP South Flintshire and Flintshire North, the gnomes could be a test to see whether the residents are at home or not, since an empty house is an easier and safer target for a burglary:
The message warns residents: "This behavior is sometimes used as a 'calling card' to see whether the gnome is picked up by the resident. If this is not the case, the property is probably empty and may be an easy target for burglars. We advise residents to be vigilant and make sure that their house is well secured."
If this really is the case, it is quite ingenious. I mean, you will not leave a Christmas-themed garden gnome lying around if it appears in your garden one day. And especially not in early September, because that is absurd. An ordinary garden gnome might tempt you to shrug your shoulders, walk past it and continue with your day. Especially if you carry things and/or have a back like mine that does not want to bend. But the appearance of a Christmas-themed gnome has something special about it that will make you stop and take a closer look. So it is a good way to assess whether the people living there are actually at home or whether they have left it uninhabited.
So far, no burglaries have been reported in the houses affected by the gnomes, so maybe, just maybe, it is a delightful surrealist prank. I hope it is, anyway. I need it as a source of fun and imagination, not as another depressing story about people getting on each other's nerves. The gnomes should remain mysterious and cute.