A garden nursery boss is celebrating after winning the chance to maintain a 24-hour vigil over his business.
Stewart Taylor had reached breaking point after his nursery suffered a torrent of break-ins during 15 years of trading.
He is now set to up-sticks from his Bingley home to live full time at Farofield Nursery in Cullingworth.
Mr Taylor, 50, has secured planning permission for a home at the Haworth Road site.
"We've just got pig sick of the break-ins," he said. "We're trying to run a business, but all I'm doing is feeding someone else."
The biggest single losses have been the theft of two lorries in the last six years.
Mr Taylor recalled one of the boldest burglaries - the theft of a cement mixer used for making compost.
He said: "I got a call from someone who was watching a van pulled up by the council garages nearby. Someone had climbed the fence. I called the police in the meantime, but they got away with the mixer which was chained up.
"The person I was talking to followed them in his car, but they shot through the traffic lights on red."
A 22ft tall Christmas tree was once stolen and Mr Taylor has lost count of the number of bedding plants taken.
"We are a small business and have a nice relationship with the village and have always tried to help," he said. "We used to plant up the grass verge but people were pulling them up, and we used to help with the gala when it ran."
Bradford Council received a 17-signature petition opposing the plan for a three-bedroom detached house with garage and staff facilities at the quarter-of-a-hectare green belt site.
But the scheme was approved by Shipley Area Planning Panel. Cullingworth Parish Council had declared a general interest in the scheme as several members are customers.
Mr Taylor, who will live in the house with his wife, Mary, and son, Alex, considered the likelihood of having to deal with an intruder on his land.
"Basically, I think that when we are always on site we won't get the problem.
"But if someone comes on site then I will have to confront them. If that happens, it happens. I'm a biggish lad."
e-mail: jonathan.walton@bradford.newsquest.co.uk
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereComments are closed on this article