A word of warning! Please read.

[chocoholic]

Please,please can I advise anyone who leaves a key in a locked door to think again.You are probably thinking I'm stupid for doing just that but trust me,it won't happen again. We came home to find our house had been broken into today. We have leaded light glass in our doors and windows, which I know you cannot break without much difficulty so that's not how they got in (they'd already got through a locked side gate). We believe they used a length of wood (pieces of broken wood were found on the kitchen floor) to reach through the cat-flap and jiggle the key from it's lock. It must have been very tricky to do but nevertheless they succeeded. We are fortunate in that nothing appears to have been taken and that is because they probably fled when the burglar alarm went off BUT please,please, take heed of my warning and keep keys away from doors when you are out.....even those back doors behind tall locked gates, that you think are out of sight and safe.
If my message saves one break-in, my posting will be worth it. Thanks for reading.

 

[tubolard]

Choccie,

I'm so sorry. Having been the victim of two break-ins I think I can guess how you must be feeling. Another piece of advice is not to leave keys visible from the letter box as well, I've heard of keys (especially car keys) being taken from hallway tables.

Regards, Tubs.

 

[sugarless sue]

Poor Gill,what a shocker for you!!I hope they catch whoever it was that broke in. :evil:

 

[chocoholic]

To be fair, I feel lucky. Our house was burgled when I was child and the mess was unbelievable.My mother was so, so upset. At least we didn't have to face that this time. We were burgled in this same house once before. They came in at night, through the patio doors. Our boys were small then and often wanted to get a drink in the night, so we didn't set the alarm at night....of course,another big mistake. We only lost my purse and hubby's watch that time but it's the personal little mementos us women keep in our purses that hurts the most, when things like that go missing.After that incident, my boys took a drink to bed with them and the burglar alarm ALWAYS goes on at night now.
Hubby has just changed the locks on our kitchen door, as todays burglars took the key with them and I don't think I'd sleep easy in my bed knowing that was in somebody else's sticky mitts.
It's all a learning curve!

 

[hanadr]

How awful Choccy!
I read recently that burglars use lengths of wood with hooks on to get people's car keys from hall tables. If you don't think me too insensitive, may I suggest you try our trick. We have self adhesive hooks on the inside of one of the kitchen cupboard doors. I hang all keys there. It's invisible from doors or windows and not the most obvious place.

 

[kegstore]

It's a horrible experience . A further warning is relevant: I have a Yale and mortice lock on my front door. Most of the time (but not always) I would use the mortice lock when I left the house. When at home I NEVER used the mortice lock, relying solely on the Yale. Did this for years and years.

All until two years ago when someone broke in WHILE I WAS IN THE HOUSE, upstairs in my office talking on the phone. The little b****r(s) only got away with my bag containing wallet, mobile phone and sunglasses, but to this day I'm stunned they were able to get in, obviously by using a coat hanger or similar though the letter box. Now I always double lock the door whether I'm in or out. A couple of months later my wallet (a rather nice leather example) was handed in to the police, still with everything inside, bizarrely.

 

[rickster]

let's face up to it. There are just so many b******ds out there with absolutelty no conscience, thought for anyone else or their properties. My next door neighbour was 'done' and she had her grandmothers jewellry taken that was passed down to her when her mother passed away. Unreplaceable and extremely unlikely to ever be returned. We were lucky, they never get into our house but the footsteps in the snow were right up to our back door. They broke into the neighbours garage, finding a spade and used it to prize the door back door open. They'll get in if they really want to!!!

 

[Trinkwasser]

When I was young I remember a friend tearing me off a strip "If you lock the door when you're out, how can we let worselfs in and mash a pot of tea while we wait for you to come back?"

Things have sadly changed in many parts of the country. Once in London there was an attempted break-in. "What do you expect us to do about it?" said the police <sigh> when there was an actual break in (not our flat) they still did naff all.

Round these parts we all look out for one another. That helps. Hmmm I just saw a neighbour walk past, when he comes back I'll go out for a chat. I might do the same with a stranger, that catches them off guard . . .