Dirty Rat...and Dirty Rat???

Today the main development at the allotment was the deposition of a poor dead, slightly chewed looking rat on the main path- don't look below if you don't want to see it!  I suspect this was left by Bobtail the stump-tailed fox- he came up to me when I got to the allotments this afternoon, probably expecting to be fed as I know some of the other allotmenteers do so. I was quite glad he had the rat to eat (assuming it wasn't poisoned) as there was no-one else there to bring him food this evening.

'"Nom nom nom"- Bobtail'

Now the other "dirty rat" incident was a bit weird. Yesterday was miserably dull  and I popped up the lottie quite late in the day.  After pottering about a bit and taking the pics for Wordless Wednesday I realised a figure had appeared directly outside the perimeter fence, next to our shed. He looked majorly dodgy.  He had a big metal bar in his hand.  The area he was in isn't on a public path or anything, it's just a narrow strip with a muddy stream the other side.  I hid in the greenhouse and watched him for about 10mins as he moved along the fence poking in the ground, oddly pulling at some living tree branches, occasionally knocking against the fence with the bar. At some time over last weekend the fence had been breached at that point,and I believe stuff was stolen but I'm not sure.

My suspicions were up at this point, and I felt some apprehension!  With my heart beating fast, and having rung L with a quick whispered summary of my last will and testament, I stood out in the open and coughed loudly. Mr Rat's reaction was not that of an upright citizen going about his lawful business. He actually looked more like a terrified meercat, he kind of reared up in panic, swivelled round then tried to hide behind a leafless sapling. Then he leapt up and ran. Heart now thumping, I left to meet L as he came down to join me, and as we both walked back to the lottie through the public park the fellow passed us, minus the metal bar, but with a big, light looking, plastic bag.

See him off, Dino

My dodgy friend did not look at all like he was seeking a place to sleep, and had he been doing so, he could  have slipped through the fence and kipped in our shed. (And I would much rather have that than him sleep out in the cold last night to be honest)  He had that large plastic bag which didn't seem very heavy. And a scary looking metal bar. We have a (probable fox) hole under our shed accessible from where he was.  What do you think was going on?