Burgled

[Tubby]

Hi, I live with my young family in De Frene Road. We went away to visit my parents early on sat morning, and on our return last night found that someone(s) had smashed off the hinges on one of our patio doors and forced their way in.

They went through all our stuff, and took about £100 cash, a few portable electrical items, money from my 3 year old's piggy bank, then helped themselves to a bunch of bananas, biscuits, cheese and yoghurt from the fridge.

My neighbour was in her kitchen with the radio on, and heard some banging at about 8pm so opened her door back door.
She didn't see anything so went back inside, her son said the banging went on for quite a long time.

Looks like they used a shovel i had foolishly left in the garden to break the door. That's pretty brazen for so early on a sat evening! The door is pretty heavy so I assume there was more that one of them.

I don't want to get paranoid, but from experience does anyone think they will return?

They didn't take any bigger items of value, but it freaks me out a bit to think it was some sort or recce.

Anyone got any advice on deterrents / alarms / secure patio doors?

Cheers.

[chrisj1948]

Anyone got any advice on deterrents / alarms / secure patio doors?

A combination of physical and psychological deterrence is good. The presence of an alarm box visible on your wall, lights on timers within the house, and possibly one of those LED 'TV simulators' all make a burglar more likely to pass over your house and target someone else's. Good for you, unfortunate for the someone else.

You should have good physical security. Bolts and lockable catches on all doors and windows. Solid doors. Lockable bolts on interior doors if your house is large enough to make zoning practicable. Any tools or ladders either securely locked away or cabled down. No keys under plantpots or on the hall table. A genuine working alarm system. You also have to be conscientious about always locking up and turning deterrents on.

People like myself who are a bit anal about security also have recording CCTV cameras and electrically operated gates. For most this is a step too far.

Hopefully someone will post the link for the police site which gives this sort of advice.

Regards
Chris

[marymck]

Also I guess telling your neighbour if you're going to be away, so that if she hears strange noises she can call the police.

Is there any CCTV they might have been caught on, if your neighbour can pinpoint the time?

So sorry this has happened to you. Fingers crossed it's a one off.

[Tubby]

Nice one, thanks for the advice. Have just ordered a Yale alarm from screwfix. Time to secure the Tubby estate!

[sarahsyd]

Sorry to hear this.
We had an attempted burglary a few months ago. I was upstairs with my baby at the time and thankfully heard them in time to scare them off - brazen!
We have a Yale alarm now and it's very good (and really easy to install) - we also use automatic timed lights when we are away.
Apparently (according to the police we spoke to at the time), an alarm is a good deterrent as even if they do manage to break in they won't hang around long enough to find out whether anyone responds to the alarm.

[bensonby]

Hi,

With regards to Home Security Lewisham Council offer a Home Security Programme whereby a crime prevention person can do a survey of your property and offer advice and also practical help to make your home more secure. Your SNT officer should mention it when they come and do a follow up visit - this follow up should generally take place within 48 hours of the burglary so you might already be aware. If they haven't mentioned it you can contact communitysafety@lewisham.gov.uk to ask to be referred or also email your SNT which I think in your case would be Perry Vale at perryvale.snt@met.police.uk but I might be mistaken.

General home security advice can also be found here: http://content.met.police.uk/Site/crime ... nbumblebee

I hope this is of some help. Out of interest you mentioned the burglars took foodstuffs.... is their any evidence that they actually ate or drank at the scene? Items that have been eaten or drunk from are excellent for DNA evidence. Take this example which also happened in Sydenham: http://www.newsshopper.co.uk/news/10724 ... ime_scene/

[mosy]

I gather that some crooks who've taken small saleable electronic goods might come back as they think a householder will have replaced them via insurance, especially if just before Christmas. Perhaps if you do replace them, hide them when not in use. You could check, as in another thread, if your property is somehow marked,, but I'm sure they could do that in a sly way. A friend who had sliding patio doors, through which a break-in was made, got some sort of bar to stop the doors from sliding. Dunno if your burglars wrecked the hinges though - were they French windows? (Don't tell me or you'll be telling the world.)

It's very unnerving that someone has been in one's home, hug, so hope you can do something to give peace of mind and perhaps be glad you were out at the time? Not much to hang on to I know, but people are more valuable than possessions.

[sydeman]

I was burgled about 6 years ago, and it was part of a spate which over a few weeks before Christmas was carried out about about 5 houses down the road. About a week or so after i was burgled, a further attempt was made on the property, as like someone above has mentioned, they think you have replaced the items with insurance and try again. They failed on the second attempt however as i had made it that bit harder...the doors were much more secure for instance and would have involved alot more work to get in.

Following on from that, i don't think you can ever be too careful. I have an alarm, i tell neighbours if i am away, have lights which come on on timers , have nothing seen on view from the main front windows etc. Its not a nice experience, especially for me to come home at lunchtime with the burglars still in the house going through my things, but just keep awares.

[Bovine Juice]

Sorry to hear about this, Tubby. When I lived in a rented flat in Lewisham I was burgled a couple of times, the second one was ten days after the first. I was actually out replacing the items lost the first time when they struck! They were actually reported the first time as well as they hailed a black cab outside my flat with, and I kid ye not, my duvet cover filled with electrical items! They travelled to an address in Catford and the cabbie promptly reported them to the police. I was never targeted again after that especially as the landlady contacted Banham and basically turned the basement flat into fort knox, including bars over all windows apart from the front one. I'd guess double attempts are high risk obviously because people will be a lot more vigilant after the first so I'd imagine many burglars would avoid it.

[JRobinson]

If they think it was too easy they might try again. Make sure you upgrade locks, and instal an alarm. I'm on DF too, we were burgled within the last year, the rear access roads make it easier round here. The two guys were caught and charged though, they were picked up by police acting suspicious, jewels and some euro notes, matched up finger prints. 3 years in prison. Same idea, came in through back patio door.
It's not a nice feeling to know that someone has been in your house, time helps with that.