Confronted a burgler at 3.30 am - moral support and advice welcome

[smillion]

Heard a noise early his morning and got up to investigate. Nothing seen.

Went back to bed and heard noises again. Got up and realised back Infra Red security light not on so switched it on and back to bed.

5 minutes later realised the light had not timed out and so got up to turn it off only to find a hooded man at the back door taking off the window beading.

Banged on the window and told him to F O, he bolted - I bolted upstairs for clothes and wife called Police. Went out with my big torch to try and find him (we live in the country) but no sign and 5 mins later Police arrive. 10 mins later 4 Police cars on the drive complete with Dog. First class. The dog found a scent and followed him across the field at the back but lost it for some reason in the middle of the field.

Turns out 2 windows had had beading removed with a view to dropping out the window pane and gain access. Fortunately the glass is sealed in so not able to take out.

Reason for the post? To see if anyone else has been subject of such an incident if the feeling of being watched disappears and any advice additonal security. Family are a bit freaked (especially my 2 sons). Fixed the windows and now looking forward to sleepless night.

 

[wemorgan]

Sorry to hear the scary news.
Will the police offer any security advice to you? What about a multi-zone burglar alarm for the house, so that you can set the down stairs rooms 'on' whilst you're asleep upstairs?

 

[ringway]

Get yourself a dog or two (I have 3) and you should be able to deter most burgalars. Leave the dogs outside during the day sometimes if you can and then people get the message.

The dogs homes are full of inmates that would love to help you out.
Rescued dogs know that they have been rescued, and boy do they let you know it too

If you had a dog it would have barked a long time before you had the shock of seeing the intruder, sparing you the unpleasant situation you find yourselves in.

Also, Radio 4 is great to have on in the kitchen because there is mostly voices and very little music. If you get the volume level right (listen from outside) would be intruders will assume you are up and about (if the dog hasn't heard 'em yet) and will more than likely bu**er off!

 

[A210AMG]

Sorry to hear this.

A Dog is the only deterant if you live alone in the country its almost a must?

Probably just as well you didn't catch him god knows what may have happened then? Have you or can you use them door bolts down stairs so even if someone got in they cannot get upstairs without kicking the door down.

More lights, gravel drive, alarm will all help but a dog would be on my list.


Hopefully the shock will have scared him just as much and he will try somewhere easier.

 

[KillerHERTZ]

August just gone, it was terribly hot one night so I decided to leave my living room window slightly open to get some airflow into the flat. My flat is a studio flat so the living room is linked to my bedroom.

When I turned the lights off I could have sworn I heard a noise, waited a sec and heard nothing else. Mrs at the time said she didnt hear owt.

around 3:30am I was in a period of very light sleep and I was looking at the aforementioned window watching someone climbing through the window, and did nothing about it, convinced it was a dream until finally the penny dropped.

Im my half asleep state for a sec I lay there trying to decide if I use the metal bar under the bed (for events such as this) or shout somthing. I woke the Mrs and shouted Oi Oi Oi Oi & ran across to the window only to discover that the b@stard had ran through my hedge and left a giant cartoon style hole in it.

Called the Police who came 19hours later, yes 19 hours later. They said it wasnt an emergency (fair enough) and said they cant spare anyone (again fair enough) - I was expecting them to pop round in the morning not 19 hours later!

After I called the Police and sat there, I have never felt the anger that someone had tried to get into my property before. Its a good job I didnt use the metal pipe not just for his sake but also the fact I could have come off far worse.


The day before on the way to work I passed a Speed Camera van with 4 Coppers inside thinking to myself - 4 Coppers? I bet they couldnt spare 1 if I was robbed!

My Garden is like fort Nnox not, and I have runner/stopper things on the windows

 

[Biscuit]

In my experience (been burgled twice) both times in the house - the shock and sense of being stalked (they must know our routines etc etc) does fade in a few days.

given the reaction of the man I'd say you gave him an even bigger fright than he gave you!

an alarm is a good idea, you can get them with panic buttons by your bed so you don't even have to leave your bedroom if it all happens again.

Well done on the telling him to F off, don't torture yourself with all the different things that you could have done ( i drove myself crazy with the if onlys on both our occasions).

good on you and here have a dancing banana....:bannana:

 

[BTB 500]

Sorry to hear this.

My dad came down the stairs a few years ago and found a guy in the hall. Shocked was not the word for it. Luckily the bloke bolted through the front door, but if it had been deadlocked and he'd been cornered ... who knows.

We have 5 dogs which is a pretty good deterrent (as mentioned, even one does the trick). They all went berserk at 2AM a couple of days after we moved into this house - I think someone had looked in through a downstairs window.

Not surprised you and family are somewhat spooked. At least he didn't get in - hopefully he realised that the windows weren't going to come out and won't be back.

 

[ringway]

The only trouble with having our 3 dogs is when I come in from the pub very late.

In the darkness if find myself tip-toing up the path whispering as loudly as I can "it's me, it's me"

 

[Geezer]

I have a baseball bat under my bed.

 

[KillerHERTZ]

I have a baseball bat under my bed.

I have an Iron bar, when push comes to shove and your not sure if your asleep or awake its a different story!

 

[BTB 500]

Im my half asleep state for a sec I lay there trying to decide if I use the metal bar under the bed (for events such as this)

You could well be prosecuted if you ever did use it. If you're inclined towards clobbering intruders (not recommended) then the advice we were given was to have one of the really big Maglites to hand. A torch is legally a reasonable thing to keep in your bedroom ... baseball bats etc. aren't.

 

[A210AMG]

I have a large mag light (4 battery job) I think if I had to use that in self defence at least thats a sort of normal thing to have in the bedroom??

Iron bar / baseball bat could be seen as a little odd....depending if you have some fluffy handcuff hanging off them )

 

[A210AMG]

wow we were typing the same.....

 

[BTB 500]

I have a baseball bat under my bed.

As above, not recommended unless you fancy a spell behind bars!

 

[KillerHERTZ]

As above, not recommended unless you fancy a spell behind bars!

Which is ricdiculous if you ask me, if someone breaks into your house you should be able to defend yourself etc - didnt they lighten the law on this anyway?

(Lets not get into a clobber robbers/offer them tea & biscults debate though)

 

[kwakdonut]

6 cell Maglite here...... believe it is now classed as an offensive weapon!!!

 

[mattc]

I keep a winter ice axe handy. Funnily enough I was using it just yesterday to chip the ice off the drive (practicing my 'step' cutting technique )

Someone comes into my home they have AT LEAST a large screwdriver. I want something with more reach and more weight than that infront of me. Should circumstances ever come to it I would argue the toss later.

that said I think the best advice has already been given - get some dogs; big ones like Rottweilers with a good attitude unless riled.

 

[SportsCoupeRich]

I think I would throw the duvet over them. when I get under it I am in it for hours.

Glad you are OK though - I have been burgled twice (one as a child, once as a homeowner)...the first time I was 12 and was left in the house on my own a couple of days after (on a Monday having been burgled on a Friday, presumably to fund a weekend high) and at 12 years old decided to place a kitchen knife in every room of the bungalow...just in case!

Get a Dog!!! we found Dobermans particularly useful!

 

[230K]

Hi

Best thing to have by your bed is a fire extinguisher, Co2, powder or foam. If confronted by an intruder give him a blast of powder in the face and then if your really stuck hit him with it while he cant see.

Did i mention that they are good in case a fire should ever break out.

Sorry to hear of your trouble, the feeling will pass. Get a few good sensor ligths fitted high up so they cant cover the PIR, you can even get them with a buzzer when they are activated.

230k

 

[Ian_Mac]

Going back a while now I was fast asleep one night and then woken by a single bang, wasn't sure if I was dreaming or not so put my head down again. Soon after another bang, got out of bed and put the light on at the top of the stairs - all quite so went back to bed.

In the morning went into the bathroom to find green footpints in the bath where the burglar had walked over the recently cut grass at the back of the house and the banging noises must have been the shampoo and shower gel being knocked off the window ledge into the bath. It was summer time and the bathroom window had been left slightly open.

Our solution was a lovely German Shepherd pup called Max, no more burglars and a very nervous paperboy!