Active discussions

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To think I might have been burgled?

235 replies

Kittensat36 · 23/08/2024 05:23

Having a bizarre and upsetting 48 hours. Just need to vent really.

Got up yesterday morning and was preparing to leave for work when I realised that my handbag was not in the hall. It normally sits on an ottoman I have, which is about 10 feet in. I know it was there because I remember taking my phone out of it the other night to send a text

Had to have an emergency day off , expecting to find it any minute - my flat is very untidy, but I expected to find it at some point. I even checked the washing machine in case I had taken it into the bathroom and scooped it up with the washing I was about to do.

But how on earth did it happen if I was burgled? The front door was shut, the back door was locked and the only open window opens onto a secure garden (and you would have cross my bed to get in).

I have to say that my bag is not the only thing that has disappeared over the last couple of weeks. My pill container for my meds disappeared from my living room, I thought that the cats might have bapped it somewhere, but they aren't talking. A batch of paperwork is also on the missing list- a receipt for a large purchase I made recently and a prescription for flea meds. All highly useful (not), but a bit odd as laptops were in the same room and were left untouched.

A ring doorbell/cameras would have been useful and I will have to get some. But I have nothing now. I suppose that if they put something through the letter box, they might have been able to get the door open, but isn't that a bit risky in the middle of the night? Wouldn't it have been easier to get in while I am at work?

Thank goodness for my marvellous upstairs neighbour lending me some cash, or I would be really stuck.

Got to go to work to sort out getting a new workphone and getting my locker broken into to retrieve my work kit. Then sorting a new barrel for my front door lock...

Thanks for reading my rant.

OP posts:
Winter2020 · 23/08/2024 12:18

Hi OP,
I hope you find your bag but if you do change the locks don't give the "trusted" neighbour a key. Sometimes it can be the most unexpected people that for example steal from their work or a position of trust in a charity.

Give a copy of the key to someone else you trust for example a relative even if they live a little further away. If the neighbour doesn't see your locks being changed then they won't even notice or if they do notice and ask if you would like them to hold a key again just say "It's ok my sister has the spare but thank you". It's not that I think that the neighbour is necessarily guilty but it's a shame to go to the trouble of getting the locks changed and then create the same situation - just in case.

Leaving a hidden camera inside your home could catch the neighbour if they are coming in but it might freak you too much to do that.

sonofrageandlove · 23/08/2024 12:05

MissEsmeWatson · 23/08/2024 11:52

Got home unexpectedly one day and heard him climbing back, then saw him running away! He didn't actually live next door, he was a relative of theirs. It WAS terrifying, I had terrible things going on in my family at the time and I actually thought I was having a breakdown. Apparently others find my post hilarious, but as my Gran used to say, some people would laugh if their ease was on fire.

Show quote history

Wow that’s awful. Did he get punished at all? I don’t think it’s funny at all…

BashfulClam · 23/08/2024 12:00

Infrequentlyhere · 23/08/2024 08:29

It’s just good sense. It takes seconds to shove it under some jumpers. Modern thieves want small, easy to carry high value items like purses, car keys and portable electronic items like phones and laptops. If you leave these lying around. They’ll take them.
I hide the car keys and my purse is upstairs with me.

Show quote history

Yeah be careful with that. I read about a man who woke up to three masked guy around his bed with a just boiled kettle ready to put in his legs unless he t gave them his car keys. Leave you stuff downstairs then if you do get burgled they will just hopefully take the stuff (it is just stuff in relation to your life and wellbeing) and leave you safe.

Mumandcarer80 · 23/08/2024 11:53

Police tell you to never leave nags and car keys by the front door.

MissEsmeWatson · 23/08/2024 11:52

sonofrageandlove · 23/08/2024 09:35

This sounds terrifying, how did you catch them?

Show quote history

Got home unexpectedly one day and heard him climbing back, then saw him running away! He didn't actually live next door, he was a relative of theirs. It WAS terrifying, I had terrible things going on in my family at the time and I actually thought I was having a breakdown. Apparently others find my post hilarious, but as my Gran used to say, some people would laugh if their ease was on fire.

CheekySwan · 23/08/2024 11:15

I hope you get sorted.

I do this all the time, leave my bag in the car, put it in the boot by accident when getting shopping out, DH has found it on the doorstep when i've put it down to open the door, i've found it in the cupboard. Put my purse away in the fridge or the tin cupboard. If its a bit messy maybe it's not standing out.

But, i would still change lock in case prev resident has a key - front and back.

If you have a loft hatch, check up there - you here stories of people living up there and some older houses have ways to get from one loft to the other (not to scare you)

Qanat53 · 23/08/2024 11:02

Kittensat36 · 23/08/2024 10:36

Thanks all. After a bit more sleep and sensible comments, it does seem less likely that someone has been in, but not entirely impossible. The why was a puzzle

Had it just been the tablets and paperwork, I would have just chalked it up to me being untidy and it will come out in the wash. But a 10x8 handbag?

Unfortunately, the workphone was flat, so it didn't ring. The cards have been cancelled and my flat is rather tidier than yesterday morning. Will continue the good work over the weekend.

For the lady who mentioned Carbon Monoxide, my detector was bought last year an is in good order.

Thanks all

It was the Hook, thru the letterbox. Very popular technique.

bergamotorange · 23/08/2024 11:02

This reply has been deleted

This has been deleted by MNHQ for breaking our Talk Guidelines - previously banned poster.

Do you think it doesn't happen?

It is uncommon, but it is a known and reported crime.

Thelnebriati · 23/08/2024 10:40

I know you trust your neighbour, but she may have had a visitor who lifted your spare key.

Original poster
Kittensat36 · 23/08/2024 10:36

Thanks all. After a bit more sleep and sensible comments, it does seem less likely that someone has been in, but not entirely impossible. The why was a puzzle

Had it just been the tablets and paperwork, I would have just chalked it up to me being untidy and it will come out in the wash. But a 10x8 handbag?

Unfortunately, the workphone was flat, so it didn't ring. The cards have been cancelled and my flat is rather tidier than yesterday morning. Will continue the good work over the weekend.

For the lady who mentioned Carbon Monoxide, my detector was bought last year an is in good order.

Thanks all

OP posts:
Getonwitit · 23/08/2024 10:33

Lacdulancelot · 23/08/2024 06:32

My dm was once called home from work as her front door was open and the police thought her home had been ransacked.
It hadn’t, it was exactly how she left it. 😂
However her nasty ndn who complained constantly about everything got a telling off from the police as dm was frightened to slam her front door when leaving and it hadn’t clicked shut properly.

There is no need to slam a door just pull it shut then give it a shove to make sure it is locked. No wonder the neighbour was hacked off.

WombatStewForTea · 23/08/2024 10:33

It is possible to have been broken into without obvious signs of a break in. Happened to us years ago and took us a few days to realise. Something small we couldn't find, then we realised my work laptop, a handbag and something else had been taken. Handbag was found dumped in an alleyway a few doors down. My flatmate had gone for a run and shut the front door behind her (Yale lock) but not double locked it and that's how they got in. There were tiny scratches on the front door that the police pointed out

flutterby1 · 23/08/2024 10:24

@Turtonator
Also, I often worry about taking shopping out of my boot snd into the house... it does happen. I worry that someone will pinch something from the boot whilst I'm in the kitchen or something from the hall whilst my door is open!

hookiewookie29 · 23/08/2024 10:23

Weirdaf1 · 23/08/2024 07:22

I'm sure I've seen advice to keep bag/keys somewhere other than the bedroom in the hope a thief would take them and leave rather than enter a room where you are sleeping.

This! My brother in law was broken into a few years ago in theearlyhours of the morning. 2 Audi's on the drive- they were after the keys. By the time my BIL heard them, they had ransacked downstairs, even going through coat pockets in a cupboard at the back of the house. When he confronted them- 2 men with balaclavas on-they were just about to go into his 3 year old daughters bedroom.
The police told him the same thing- don't hide your valuables. If he'd left the keys downstairs they would have been in and out with minimal disturbance.

flutterby1 · 23/08/2024 10:18

@Turtonator
Yes that's what happened to my mum, someone followed my DAD home from the pub, maybe a little worse for ware! he closed the front door after him but didn't lock it and so shortly afterwards let themselves in and stole her handbag .

It's like a petit opportunistic burglary not a full blown house raid. Very disconcerting

newhousenewhouse · 23/08/2024 10:17

A friend was burgled by a next door neighbour that had a key. I would be taking the key back / changing locks and putting a camera inside. Oh and tidying up 😀

BitOutOfPractice · 23/08/2024 10:16

CallMeFlo · 23/08/2024 06:23

If you'd been burgled, unless you've left a door unlocked, then you'd know how they'd got in.

Or bumped the lock.

WishOnSpaceHardware · 23/08/2024 10:13

"my flat is very untidy"

I think that's what you need to solve, if your flat is so untidy you can't find your handbag and medication, it's a problem that's impacting your life and you need to address it.

Turtonator · 23/08/2024 10:13

flutterby1 · 23/08/2024 06:52

My mum had someone walk in and just take her handbag from the hall once. The front door wasn't locked though.

I (think) I had someone follow me home from shopping; while moving bags from car to kitchen they walked in and grabbed a handbag from the hallway. Was an American friend's bag, she was staying with me - I live(d) at the end of a cul-de-sac that ran off another cul-de-sac, not like it was a busy road. Freaked me out and I'm always aware now. The absolute grief for the American who'd arrived a day before - bank cards, medication ...

Tagyoureit · 23/08/2024 10:10

You said your house is very untidy, so are you sure its actually gone? Is it possible that it's just under a pile of laundry somewhere?

housethatbuiltme · 23/08/2024 10:06

Hottogo1 · 23/08/2024 09:57

Also the people assuming small value stuff doesn’t get stolen would be surprised how often it does!

Sibling left car unlocked one night and the next morning discovered a 6 pack of Stella, a pack of Capri Suns and £5 in loose change had been taken from it. Car was otherwise in tact!

Given the most common reasons for car break ins is alcoholics & junkies going after small change that is not surprising at all... wildly different to stealing a 'flea prescription' from someones living room while they are home.

OP said it herself, her house is 'untidy'... she is most likely a butterfly (often vilified as 'untidy' or 'lazy' but it is actually very common, most people with even mild ND are butterflies so millions of people) someone who works of seeing where things are as they say 'when everything is visual nothing is visual anymore'.

CellophaneFlower · 23/08/2024 10:06

This reply has been deleted

This has been deleted by MNHQ for breaking our Talk Guidelines - previously banned poster.

What? Do you seriously think this never happens?

malden · 23/08/2024 10:04

This reply has been deleted

This has been deleted by MNHQ for breaking our Talk Guidelines - previously banned poster.

SerendipityJane · 23/08/2024 10:03

I never liked the new uPVC doors (apparently I am the only person on earth though)

and this isn't even the reason *google "upvc lock bumping"

https://www.handlestore.com/blog/lock-bumping/

Swipe left for the next trending thread