Has anyone else been burgled?

[dexterdoglancashire]

Jo, how horrible for you. Fortunately, weve only been "robbed" once when someone stole my motorbike from outside the house. It wasnt the fact that it was old, rusty and worth nothing, but the fact that our private space had been invaded. Nowhere near as bad as your experience - sending big HUGS - Dexter and I are thinking of you.
Bernie

[moola]

crikey - so many people have been burgled at one point or another

[Two_Sheds]

I've been burgled twice.

- first time at Xmas: they took all the presents from under the tree. The patio doors were lifted off their runners (landlord unbothered) and a poo was left in the toilet. At least it was in the toilet, eh?

- then at a different flat: a flatmate had left the front door unlocked. Thief walked straight in (after buzzing the main building door and saying he was visiting "John"). 3 people were in the flat at the time, but didn't see or hear anything. I'd fitted a lock to my bedroom door, so my stuff wasn't nicked, but other flatmates lost all their gadgets, laptops etc.

- same flat as above: a house party got out of hand when we were gatecrashed by the local undesirables/druggies. The front door (security door, very strong) was kicked in. The police never turned up, despite frantic calls.

- different flat: one night I'm woken and creep through the flat to see about 5 rough lads outside my window threatening to "break the effing door in". I was petrified, but couldn't ring the police (no signal in the basement flats you see). They eventually went away.

- I moved after that, to a ground floor flat just up the road. One night about 2am a drunken lad was at the back door of the main building, which was next to my bedroom window, trying to kick in the door. Really doing ninja kicks and having a good go. I called the police, but they didn't come out. He shinned up the fire escape when he couldn't get the door open. I moved out of the area shortly after that. There was a murder a few doors away.

Bikes nicked, loads of them. Police not bovvered.

Last night our car was keyed. Police not bovvered.

[bubblewrap]

The police would be bothered if you broke the little s**ts legs!
Next door but two got burgled on Thursday evening terraced houses access to the rear by alleyway which serves 4 houses.
We usually keep the door locked but it was kicked in last week we have our suspicions who the culprit is but no proof.

[sharonr]

My son was burgled why he was having a party. Somehow word got round and some people gatecrashed, took a PS3, PSP, a mobile phone, some games and they even took his Tommy Hilfinger smelly`s out of the box`s. (they left the box`s behind) and a front door key. They found some games on the roof of the conservatory where they had thrown them out of the bathroom window the next morning. The insurance company won`t pay as they say they invited the robbers in, but they didn`t know they were there.

[Luci]

We got burgled a couple of days after we got back from holiday. I came home with little one to find a knife on the changing mat with some loose change. Little one's purse had been emptied (still had her dollars in them, about �60). Then we found that our money tin had been broken into, hence the knife on the mat, and about �100 taken from that as well.
Police spent about 2 hrs dusting for prints, as another flat in our building had been broken into as well. Aparently, a neighbour had heard someone trying to get into her flat, but didn't think about ringing the police
Never caught anyone about that. They'd gone through the whole of the flat, through every drawer in every room, but only took the money luckily.
I spent the next couple of weeks looking at everyone walking past our flats thinking it could be any of them!!!
It does get better, slowly

[wollyanna]

We have been 'visited' more than once. Once we came back from having a really good time at Wimbledon thanks to one of our sons getting us centre court tickets had a really good drive back ,only to find we had been visited and they had gone from top to bottom of the house it was like a bomb site. The only electrical thing not taken was our large TV as it wouldn't go through the back window where they had smashed their way in. I always said it was too big but changed my mind after. We now have wrought iron scroll work over the windows at the back of the house. Once I was in bed feling unwell when the bedroom door opened and a young chap in baseball cap walked in. I don't know who was more surpised.When I phoned the police fro bedside phone they said is he still there I said I'm not going down to find out. The police came about 3 hours later!!!!!!!!!!

[Sue]

Poor you, every sympathy, I've only experienced burglars in shops I've managed, both people getting into the staff areas and breaking in, I even saw one escaping once when I came in early. I really hate it as it brings on my obsessive compulsive side and after the theft, when I locked up at night would go round and round rechecking and rechecking till I was exhausted. I then managed to split the wood on the front door as I just couldn't believe my own eyes that the door was really locked - had to have the whole door replaced. Takes months to get back to normal and only when I manage to build up a routine I can keep in my head after I'd left the premises.
At home, the front door to our flats has been drilled into twice, near the lock, but it's such a big door with mouldings we think they couldn't get wires in to trip the lock. Then recently the yale lock was filled with glue. Don't know if this was a prank or to get us to leave the door open overnight. Luckily one of the flatowner's boyfriends friend is a locksmith and he came round right away and refitted the lock.
I've never been able to understand how burglars can do what they do, to have so little or no empathy for others, to not care what trauma and distress they put people through.
And I'm appalled to read that people have to clear up the mess themselves, even places contaminated with blood.
Sue

[Glutton4...]

I was burgled years ago when I lived in a flat. I didn't realise straight away but phoned the Police when I noticed and they came and dusted for finger-prints and took a statement.

Turns out the lowlife scum had burgled several flats in the block, when we were all out at work, and I was the last home therefore the last to report. They took all my jewellery, 18th and 21st Birthday presents, none of it exceptionally valuable, but it was all from family members and had sentimental value - that can't be replaced.

I have to say the Police were great, and even offered counselling. Counselling!!!? I wanted revenge!

They were never caught.

Seems a long time ago now, but I remember wanting to bleach every inch of the flat at the time!

[pigletwillie]

I actually caught a burglar in our lounge at a previous address. He was a scrawny runt aged about thirty and picked up a fire iron to defend himself or intimidate me into letting him go. Unfortunately I play prop forward and would have felt more scared by an opposition winger, saying that he did hit me over the shoulder with it.

The upshot was, I found a bag of stolen goodies by the back door "ready to go", the burglar took a good shoeing as I defended myself and whilst he waited for an ambulance the police arrived and nicked him.

The best form of defence against burglars is to make them visible, use good outside lighting, fit a burglar alarm and make good use of gripper rod tacked to the top of fences and gates.

[Two_Sheds]

make good use of gripper rod tacked to the top of fences and gates.

..but make sure you advise potential burglars of the fact, in case they sue you when they injure themselves.

You could plant natural barbed wire: pyracantha, berberis, roses, blackthorn etc.

[pigletwillie]

..but make sure you advise potential burglars of the fact, in case they sue you when they injure themselves.

You could plant natural barbed wire: pyracantha, berberis, roses, blackthorn etc.

On top of your gate, go for it chuck!!! No plants are a very good deterent indeed.

Gripper rod only has very small barbs which all point one way so if more of a discomfort than a danger, unlike say broken glass or barbed wire.

[phil the shed]

been done too....but the householders revenge!!!!!!!!!
came home one night to find portable telly on the lawn a bag of small items and cd's etc. let myself in quick and heard movement in the kitchen opened door turned on light to see legs sticking out of the previous tenants large dog flap. so i grabbed them quick and called police. they asked if he was still there and i said i had hold of him, they said they were on the way but don't hurt the person cos it may be seen as assault????? i said your having a laugh he's struggling they said let him go so i opened the door and he banged his head on the frame a couple of times. i couldn't work out what was stopping the door from opening i thought it was his legs how wrong i was anyway they arrived and nicked him for 4 other jobs as well.

[jojo2910]

Thank you for all your kind words. Its horrible to think that so many pepole have been burgled.

My car has been found, but is missing most of the front half, but it seems the burglers may have left a jacket in the boot, so they may catch someone after all. But like CID told me, no burgler is going to admit to more than he has too, they are only likely to admit to being in possession of the car not taking it, especially as they could find no evidence at the house.

I am still playing Wednesday night through my head to see if I did something to invite them into the house. I have been convincing myself that I left my keys in the door, but as i have never done this and my boyfriend met me at the door, it seems unlikely.

At the moment I am living in fort knocks whilst I get round to feeling normal again.

Anyway thanks again. Jojo x

[Hashette]

Jojo you did nothing wrong and you have nothing at all to reproach yourself for.

It's a horrible violation, and like most victims of that sort of crime, you feel it's your fault in some way. It isn't, it really really isn't.

It is rotten luck that the lowlife who did this targeted your house, but that's all it is. Get angry, but please please don't feel guilty, you have nothing to reproach yourself for.