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Yesterday morning Mrs Andeh and I were awoken just before 6am by a flashlight and hand poking around our bedroom door. I, instinctively (and in hindsight, potentially foolishly) leapt out of bed, shouting "GETTHEF@&KOUT!!", grabbing the nearest thing on the way down the stairs, a track pump.
Anyway, by the time I got to the street they were gone, which is probably for the best. They managed to get our TV, a selection of old phones and a satnav, but leaving the bikes alone.
At the time I was too hyped up to think, I was actually in a fairly good mood, just being glad that Mrs Andeh and the bikes were OK, joking with the Police and getting on with tidying up. However, in the cold light of day, things aren't so sunny. Last night was horrible, locking everything down, moving precious things into our room, setting boobie traps around the house and even sleeping with a light on. I doubt they would come back so soon, but I don't think we could have slept had we not taken such ridiculous measures. Today is odd, everything seems kind of muted.
The thing that bothers me the most is the invasion. I don't care about the TV, it's a thing, but the desecration of my own space, coming into our bedroom, going through our draws, standing in the hallway, uninvited, has got me feeling really cut up. What might have happened had we not woken up? I'm feeling very empty today, almost at a loss. I'm trying to mark some Y11 coursework for school next week, not making much progress due to a complete loss of attention span.
I'm going to pick up my 2003 Dirt Jumper 3s from my parent's shed this weekend.
You keep a track pump in the bedroom?
You keep a track pump in the bedroom?
grabbing the nearest thing on the way down the stairs, a track pump.
Anyway.
Sorry to hear about this, OP, and glad you and yours are ok. I am sure you have gone over what could have happened.
Can't believe the brassneck of someone to roam around another's house at 6am. I get up for work around then, so a real odd time.
I normally get up at 6:30ish. I thought it was a very strange time.
6am is pretty brazen - a lot of people up and about by then. Guess they thought you were away?
Anyway, it's a shite thing to happen - happened to me a couple of times, and you do feel violated for a bit but it passes. Dog time?
get on to Victim Support, they are there for a good reason.
Take some permanent, practical measures to secure your house so that you are not worry about a repeat incident.
Talk to your missus about it.
setting boobie traps around the house
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Get an alarm fitted and set the downstairs zones before you go to bed?
CCTV's pretty cheap these days too.
Big Maglite next to bed.
It's a common feeling you have and not one that goes away easily unfortunately (and one of the reasons why victim support exists). In terms of practical things, how did they get in, can you address that? All the security in the world isn't 100% burglar proof but making it 'good enough' is usually sufficient for them to look for easier pickings.
Boobie traps
It's a Trap!
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Bizarre time for a burglary.
You have my sympathies, a couple of years ago my house was burgled (during the day when unoccupied). Like you I was initially fairly relaxed about it but it does affect you and takes some time to get over.
Fitted a burglar alarm since then and *always* enable it at night and when I'm out.
The main issue with the house is that it is both rented and owned by a tight-fisted ****er. I mentioned getting a new front door (current one is mostly glass) and it seemed to get his heckles up. Essentially he has bought a pup with this house, severe subsidence, damp, leaking roof etc and he is very apprehensive about spending money as he wants to get shut fairly soon. We've been looking to move for a long while but wife needs a new job, which could be anywhere, before we can jump. I'm not overly keen on staying in Lincoln for much longer.
You keep a track pump in the bedroom?
As all good STW'ers know the weapon du jour for "owning" burglars is .....[img] 
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How did they get in? Did you see them drive away?
There will be the usual wisecracks, so I'll stick to the serious...
The thing that bothers me the most is the invasion.
We were broken into when I was in my late teens. It was a proper ransacking. I can remember going into all the bedrooms - every cupboard opened, every drawer opened and everything just emptied out on to beds and floors. Every drawer opened downstairs and emptied. It was ****ing horrible and I get the creeps even thinking about it now. Can't think how horrible it must have been for my mum who'd lost my dad not that long previously. The feeling of invasion of your home seems like it'll never go away...but it does. I think this is probably related to you being in the house when it happened - and we didn't experience that. I was out with friends at uni and my mum came home and they scarpered. But the mess they left that took ages to clear up and fix was painful.
Fast forward another 15 years or so and we (mrs DD and I) got broken into in our last place. When I say "broken into" I mean that a guy tried all the doors in our estate one night and I was one of the idiots that forgot to lock ours. So, this time, we were in the house but he didn't come upstairs. He took the car keys and made off with a couple-of-months-old mini cooper (with no gap insurance 😯 ). Thankfully, it was found a few days later with around 15 miles on the clock and no damage other than a few CDs and sunglasses nicked. What followed was a bit comical (and a long story...also he was nicked with stolen goods a week or so later again so was going to court for that, not for ours) but for some reason, and I think the fact that he didn't do any damage or leave us with a big finance bill to settle meant we were never really bothered about it.
Maybe it was the previous experience...I dunno...but however it feels now will go away. And if it isn't going away soon enough, make use of the victim counselling services that will be offered. There's nothing wrong with feeling really vulnerable and delicate after an experience like yours.
Good luck.
Front door, forced it open.
We live up a private drive, between 2 houses (opposite the police station, if you can believe it!) so by the time I was up/out, they were just dissappearing onto the main road.
Silly ****ers left some great big greasy fingerprints on the door frame. CID were very interested in those, "What? This never happens!" she said. Also, apparently nobody steals TVs any more, which adds to the oddness of the incident.
Might be a local odd ball? Not that that lessens the impact obviously! Happened to a mate of mine whilst he was renovating his house - bloke from over the road (literally) decided to wander in and nick anything metal that wasn't tied down, but then he just put it in his garden and covered it up. The garden being in full view of the main road so everything was easily spotted! Apparently it wasn't the first time he'd done it...
I got burgled 3 times in 5 weeks at uni. First time they were disturbed and didn't get anything, second time we'd put locks on all the internal doors so they kicked them off the hinges. Third time there was nothing left to steal.
At each occasion, the loss or potential loss was met with a wry smile and a few pints down the local. What got a bit tense was being at home at night or leaving during the day and having one of the lads girlfriends in the place on their own. No matter how tough we all thought we were, there were a lot of late night patrols going on around the house for about 2 months. You'll get past it but not overnight.
As others have said, better locks & definitely a alarm system & CCTV if you can stretch to it. The bobbies told me once your paid out there's a chance the scroats will come back as they know you have nice new shiny things again so protect your self.
Silly **** left some great big greasy fingerprints on the door frame.
Good. Hopefully they catch the lowlife scum
Atlaz, where the hell did you go to Uni?
its half term.
possibly worse than the fact that you know them, they will almost certainly return. waking you up will have given them a fright, but they escaped and that is a huge buzz. they know more about your house and its contents now.
are all your keys where you knew they were - house, shed, car, etc.
alarm, cctv.
sorry, its shit and will take a long time to get over
Atlaz, where the hell did you go to Uni?
Southampton. Local scumbags constantly targeted students.
I live in a rough part of town and the first thing I did was fit a new front door with a split barrel so long as it's closed they can't open it from outside with a key. Then at night engage the proper locking system.
We also arm the alarm at night with just the downstairs zones active.
Beyond that there isn't anything else you can really do, a big dog or a mag lite would be next on my list of purchases.
andeh, Most Burglars of resi properties are opportunistic unless they know that you have lots of cash etc.
Also see you have a tight landlord. Cheap method is putting a few lamps on timers to ping on at certain times, as looks like you are up etc. and lights can be seen behind curtains. If they think you are up and about often a major deterrent.
Dog time?
When my garage was broken into setting off the alarm. I was followed down the stairs by a very wary looking 50kg German Shepard who gave me the look to say "you go first and if it's OK I'll come out barking". This is despite having a dog door where he could have had them before they knew what was happening. Useless mutt, bullied by the cat and only barked at the postman if he hadn't stroked him whilst on his rounds.
OP, I'd be looking to move if the landlord isn't going to sort the property otherwise you'll never feel secure in your home.
A few barrel bolt type locks on the front door should stop them forcing the door again top, middle & bottom - and perhaps your landlord will be happy with you fitting them?
You comment on alarms and it being rented. In my garage I have a IR shed alarm. The house is wired with a proper alarm but when I'm in during the day it is off and so does not cover the garage. It is small, has a sensor and a key pad. Easy to fit with minimal damage for rental deposit considerations.
It would be enough to scare an intruder or at least give you some piece of mind. They are about £15 in Maplins. Put one in a central area and it will give you some coverage.
Bought a doorway style shed alarm yesterday Jonba, can set it to bingbong or make a horrible noise.
I wouldnt count on an alarm to make much difference.
We were burgled a few years ago during the day when we were out,the alarm went off,but it didnt deter them,they still took £10k worth of stuff
And its highly likely they (or some mates) will be back. Once our place got done over, a few weeks later they came back in the night, but this time they were disturbed by a passing policeman before they got in.
Our burglary marked the start of a 6 month crimewave in our street, in that period 18 houses were burgled.
Not sure if it was the same people that did all the burglaries or whether they tell their dodgy mates about their success.
We alarm the house every night. All three doors into the house have door sensors, rest of rooms have PIR'S. Upstairs, hall and kitchen unalarmed so no need to unset. Garage also on same alarm system. Also have keyfob in bedside draw which can arm, disarm or set it off.
If you have a dog then place a small piece of wood under the PIR'S like a shelf. This means it won't pick anything up low down. Set my old house up like this and our collie could wander around, get on the sofa etc and never set alarm off. But if you walked in, off it went.
Used a yale wireless easy to fit system. Of course the effectiveness of an alarm if you're out depends on your neighbours. We are lucky where we live now as everyones pretty friendly and on the ball. Our old estate not so.
I wouldnt count on an alarm to make much difference.
Except in this case it would have woken the OP before they got to his bedroom door!
I'd rather know my house was comprimised when it was comprimised, not when they're in bed with me and the missus.
And if you're out there's no personal risk to you.....but if you're in...That's a very different risk and must be horrible. Hope you guys get over it OK.
Bad shit. I got my garage attempted a few weeks ago and while in no way comparable I still couldn't sleep as everyone says they will be back. This is not strcitky true - the police said they often move on to an easier target if they couldn't get anything.
Anyway my top tips, do something visible - put up beware dog stickers and CCTV stickers. Put some timer lights on in the bedrooms for a few weeks. Get yourself dusk 'till dawn sensor light outside your house.
The best purchase I made was to buy the Arlo security cameras. Brilliant wireless cameras that signal your phone and start recording when anyone is detected by the motion sensor. Night vision too.
Starting at about £180 for one camera set-up. Not a permanent installation so you can take with you. Records to cloud and no fees for that.
Just make some changes to your house. You're unlikely to be targeted again as you've made it more difficult.
Bad shit. I got my garage attempted a few weeks ago and while in no way comparable I still couldn't sleep as everyone says they will be back. This is not strcitky true - the police said they often move on to an easier target if they couldn't get anything.
Anyway my top tips, do something visible - put up beware dog stickers and CCTV stickers. Put some timer lights on in the bedrooms for a few weeks. Get yourself dusk 'till dawn sensor light outside your house.
The best purchase I made was to buy the Arlo security cameras. Brilliant wireless cameras that signal your phone and start recording when anyone is detected by the motion sensor. Night vision too.
Starting at about £180 for one camera set-up. Not a permanent installation so you can take with you. Records to cloud and no fees for that.
Just make some changes to your house. You're unlikely to be targeted again as you've made it more difficult.
Our place was done before Christmas - myself and Police believe one gang broke in specifically to look for keys to wifes car which they eventually found (well hidden) and stole that. They had a van parked on my drive for 2 days while we were away apparently. Once that had gone, scrotes who live across the way had noticed what happened and then came in and helped themselves to the rest of our stuff including clothes, cameras, watches and 3 of my bikes which they wheeled through the house and down the garden and over 2 other gardens.
Now have alarm, CCTV and numerous other security measures.
All this was so I could go back on nights and my wife feel somewhat safe as she is still on maternity leave with our 6month old son.
Do as much as you can practicably do but also that doesn't take over your life.
The feeling of being violated does wear off (although the missus did chuck all her underwear out that had been chucked out the drawers in our bedroom) but as I have a pretty good idea who was behind our burglary, the anger doesn't leave so quickly.
Bad shit. I got my garage attempted a few weeks ago and while in no way comparable I still couldn't sleep as everyone says they will be back. This is not strictly not true - the police said they often move on to an easier target if they couldn't get anything.
Anyway my top tips, do something visible - put up beware dog stickers and CCTV stickers. Put some timer lights on in the bedrooms for a few weeks. Get yourself dusk 'till dawn sensor light outside your house.
The best purchase I made was to buy the Arlo security cameras. Brilliant wireless cameras that signal your phone and start recording when anyone is detected by the motion sensor. Night vision too.
Starting at about £180 for one camera set-up. Not a permanent installation so you can take with you. Records to cloud and no fees for that.
Just make some changes to your house. You're unlikely to be targeted again as you've made it more difficult.
I can sympathise, although our burglary was nothing like that bad - they just broke into the integrated garage and helped themselves to my bikes.
It makes for stressful bedtimes for a good few years.
However I'd hazard a guess that no proper burglar would be so stupid as to a) burgle that late in the morning and b) come into bedrooms with people in. A real actual burglar wants to nick stuff with the minimum risk. So quite possibly a kid looking for thrills (not so bad) or a nutjob (bad).
As above - locks, and downstairs alarm. Locks are cheap enough to install yourself, sod the landlord - and there are probably battery powered alarms available that you can stick up without permanent modifications.
Haven't read all the replies but a London bar and the equivalent on the hinge side make a door quite hard to kick open, not, massively expensive either, I watched a colleague trying in vain to kick in a quite an insubstantial front door with these fitted last week, eventually somebody had to come and **** it with a big red key
Just been to see the Police (over the road....I know, it's ridiculous). Apparently they have processed the finger prints but nothing has been flagged up on the system. Also, they have checked CCTV and they can't see anything suspicious or relating to the case (like I said, despite being over the road from the station). Apparently there was a break in the same night just down the street, so my thought is they were just chancing it?
Your locks/door should be sufficiently robust and secure that they can't be "forced" without completely smashing up something. If the LL won't sort it then do it yourself.
The best purchase I made was to buy the Arlo security cameras. Brilliant wireless cameras that signal your phone and start recording when anyone is detected by the motion sensor. Night vision too.Starting at about £180 for one camera set-up. Not a permanent installation so you can take with you. Records to cloud and no fees for that.
Was that the Arlo Q?
We once fitted stick on battery powered individual alarms to all downstairs windows and doors.. Theory being if they force entry we'd hear it, and kept a couple of small foot long crowbars under the bed, one end taped for grip, the other end coated in vaseline so it can't be grabbed off you easily.
I'm on the arlo wire free . All the same system but the arlo q is an indoor wired camera with better quality.
The benefit of the wireless is placement.
You can mix and match.
The app is great.
3 posts the same above. Sorry. Damn French hotel WiFi.
Just been looking at wifi security cameras and the Arlo looks like the only one which doesn't charge £8/month per camera for basic storage....
First they did mine I was away on holiday and had very little for sleep for about 3 weeks after there event kept finding things missing weeks after the actual burgelry and it's hard to just get on with life when the insurance company drag their heels.
Second time I was fast asleep in bed and they nicked my work van after finding the keys in the house that time I just could not be bothered to get all worked up about it they are just scum.
Big powered fire extinguisher awaits the next one
Alarm and set downstairs at night, WHY?
1) Stops intruders sneaking around (yet to be tested)
2) Wakes up the family when a large candle in a glass left alight by Mrs Wally goes batshit and ignites the whole pot of wax 3am (tested)
Just been looking at wifi security cameras and the Arlo looks like the only one which doesn't charge £8/month per camera for basic storage....
Yes, my findings.
Arlo only keeps it for seven days but you can download it, straight from your phone.
I prefer the Arlo set-up to my proper 24/7 work cctv which is overly complex and not as user friendly.
Downsides are batteries in the cameras.
angelcam.com give you 72hrs of cloud storage free. I've got my cheap Chinese 1080p wifi camera streaming to that.
You have our sympathy. The only "good" thing from our similar experience is that its not personal - its just that we were "easier" - only having yale locks and alarms.
Anyway after we were done we ID'd and had the names and addresses of the guys that tried to sell our stuff on ebay the next day.
And we have their faces on video from ip cctv - but its worth zero as by the time the police get around to such low priorities our stuff is long gone. If youre lucky the scrote's car is untaxed or something.
The only thing - imo - is make yourself harder than your neighbours. Ligthts. Alarms. Cameras. But dont expect anyone to act on any of it. It's just a sign saying "go away - next door is easier".
Given that you've been burgled and therefore have proof the house needs more security, if the landlord refuses to put in better security, is there any legal action or just complaint to the council you can make to force him to put in better security?
If it was me, with a landlord like that I'd be moving anyway...
I install alarms sometimes and unfortunately it's normally after someone has been burgled.You can get wireless system fairly cheap and take it with you when you leave.Visonic powermax are available cheap on the Internet and are reliable.Another problem is people' don't use them after they have been installed.Connect it your telephone line and set it to call you if it goes off.Here on the continent they use a gas to keep you asleep sometimes and will quite happily take stuff from the bedside table.
Perhaps drifting ot, but was there ever any evidence for the gas thing? Like, has anyone ever found any traces of gas, or gas-masked villains? From what I've heard, it's mostly "I didn't wake up, must have been gassed".
Thecaptain +1
If burglars were using a gas that allowed them to safely and quickly knock people out with no control over the dose that was given then anaesthetists would have a really easy job.
I'm pretty sure the gas thing is bollox. There's been rumours about that kind of thing for years but I don't think there's ever been an actual proven case of it.
http://www.motorhomefun.co.uk/portal/motorhome-gas-attacks/
think there's ever been an actual proven case of it.
Well the Russian special forces did manage to kill 200+ people in that theatre once whilst trying to knock out a few terrorists...
But back on topic, OP first and foremost you need decent locks and a solid door. Get that done before you replace your tv!
Sorry to hear this, I've got a big barking dog, but if they creeped in at night she would give them a nice surprise. Get some big dog bowls by your back door.
Please don't rely on a dog to protect your property. Your average scrote is more than capable of doing harm to the family pet unfortunately. Certain breeds are a bit more useful but unless trained as an attack dog most family pets are an early alarm at best. They probably do put off opportunists but not a targeted job. Years of careful breeding has taken the fight out of most dog breeds.
there's this one too, which I've been considering, great for rented homes as you can just take it with you.
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Canary-All-One-Security-Device/dp/B014KWCCQI
So, quick update. Turns out the officer assigned to the case isn't due back in work until Sunday! Why assign someone to a case when they're off work for 4 days? Frustrating.
Anyway, my housemate's phone was taken during the incident and this morning it was turned on over the other side of town. Track my iPhone has placed it on a dodgy street in a dodgy area. Police are, however, uninterested in this, apparently it's "not accurate". Even so, you'd think they could use it to direct their case a little. The whole thing is very frustrating. I feel like we have dug up more about the potential culprits than they have, just by asking around.
I was burgled many years ago and the guy who did it destroyed all my late wife's ornaments, spray painted the walls, scratch all the doors of the kitchen units and cracked the bath and basin! The police knew who it was even before they matched his finger prints because he'd just come out of borstal at which time the burglary rate doubled!
I joked with the police that I'd like to do the same to his house but they told me that I'd only be improving it!
The invasion of my home and the mindless damage just designed to pi** me off are hard to understand.
If you have an address and a number of large friends who are happy to use all means necessary, I would go around to have a word. I'm sure if you ask nicely enough they'll give your things back.
If you're not absoultely sure of the address, see if you can find the phone for sale on ebay or anything near that address.
If not, put a complaint in about the police. Speak to the sergeant or if he isn't interested, make it formal.
We have been burgled a few times and now I think well placed CCTV is the answer as it gives the police at least something to go on. When we were burgled the police had a fair idea of who would have been involved. Basically they know all the criminals in an area and just need evidence to arrest them. CCTV gives them that.
CCTV is cheap now and so are basic DIY alarms. Pisser that you have to have any of this in the first place.
By talking to a few friends we have a fairly good idea of who has the stuff, even if they didn't take it themselves. Essentially, by the sounds of it, they're crack-heads.
The temptation to take things into our own hands is overwhelming, but I'm going to do my best to let the police deal with it, even if it means looking stuff up myself and handing it over to them. I can't forget, they know where I live.