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

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!

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 ****. 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 …..

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 **** 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 **** 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.

https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/352533/ApplicationForm2012014.pdf

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