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.