A man just walked into my house...

[luciapenguin]

I was upstairs, and went to open the window when I see a man walking out of my house (out of my front garden). I watched him from the window and he didn't go into anyone else's house, and left our street.

I thought it was really odd as he wasn't a Royal Mail postman or anything, but I went downstairs to check whether he had put anything through our letterbox. Nothing there. I opened the door to see if anything he had put in the letterbox had fallen out- again, nothing.

Can anyone think of a logical explanation (I have anxiety) or is this really dodgy?

And also, saying that a man was in your house when he wasn't is just out and out untrue.

Chalk markings etc is just an urban myth

Agreed. If someone is going to steal a dog, or whatever it is that people always say chalk markings are for, they would do it there and then and they certainly wouldn't do something to alert people to the fact that they are going to come back and do it later. Because that makes them more likely to be caught.

The thread title was deliberate, because I knew that there was a slim chance of getting replies if I said "man walked into my front garden. I needed to hear some advice.

So you lied as you knew how ridiculous you sounded ?

Please dont say the same to the police

At the wrong house maybe x x

Assuming you might return to thread - have you checked if you're doorbell is working?

He may have rung but not bothered knocking and if your doorbell didn't work then it would be easy to assume he'd just wandered up to the house for no reason.

I suspect, are from MNetters in their comfortable, upper middle class areas where things like this never happen.

Please don’t be ignorant. The posh places I’ve lived have been at much higher risk and burglaries happen everywhere. One that springs to mind is in a very naice leafy area of N.London and a neighbour actually DID have people in their house whilst they were upstairs watching TV, they only found out by looking at the CCTV one day.

I don’t live in an ‘upper middle class area where nothing like this happens’ the difference is I recognise the risk of someone casing the joint vs the risk of someone doing something completely benevolent, is actually going to be pretty small no matter where you live. Worrying about something like this is a complete waste of energy, trying to whip people into a frenzy by being dramatic is rediculous. All you can do is secure your house and call the police if someone enters your property uninvited, which you already know, not really sure what advice there is to be had. No good could come from convincing yourself the worst might happen and pushing people to agree with you.

@googleismyfriend

The thread title was deliberate, because I knew that there was a slim chance of getting replies if I said "man walked into my front garden. I needed to hear some advice.

WTF?

So he wasn't in your HOUSE, he just came into your garden?

The misleading title is ridiculous and you're a drama queen. The guy probably just realised her had come to the wrong house.

Your response at 12.43 having a go at the middle class people on MN does not put you in a good light OP.

The people who live two door down saw two men go into the middle neighbours garden whilst one of them did a poo. I have so many questions about this story...

Lost goth?
If he was staking out your house and realised the door was locked, wouldn't he just go in to the next house?

Could have been one of many reasons, I don’t think it’s worth stressing about. He was in your front garden not your living room.

I've always thought (although the crime statistics might not back this up) that you'd be most at risk of burglary in either a very deprived area with problems (opportunistic drug addicts and the like being quite happy to take a neighbour's to sell), or in a very wealthy area where someone might watch your every move for two months and then strike violently at your weakest moment. Its all of us in the middle who have the luxury of not being wealthy enough to be a target of a professional gang, and fortunate enough not to live somewhere with problems.

I spent five years living in some of Manchester's dodgier suburbs. You just got used to the fact that a lot of people hanging around might have had dubious motives. All you can do is make your house as secure as possible. It is entirely possible he just had some rubbish and was looking for a bin, or was lost, or was trying the door to make a quick grab at something then run, who knows.

*Taps nose.

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/_chat/3582958-Shadow-people

uppr middle class?

good one op

FGS. He probably knocked on the door and you didn't hear him. Was a jehovah's witness or wanted to sell you his services.

But a cctv camera for your front door or even a dummy one.

The OP has said she won't be returning to the thread so it's pointless asking her questions.

simplisafe.co.uk/simplicam-security-camera?gclsrc=aw.ds&&gclid=CjwKCAjw5dnmBRACEiwAmMYGORhpbndxc9AxJwsmNT6bZCKyvHIDv-8vuxd-FcyJh3sVFxmKZjcmiRoC8mwQAvD_BwE

Op doesn’t make sense. Wouldn’t you have more chance of being burgled if you really upped middle class as you most likely will have stuff worth nicking?

I've used the 'Contact us' function on my local police website to report this and ask whether any similar reports have been made I'd love to be there when this report is read.

Last summer around 3am I heard some young lads outside my house discussing which houses on my road they would be 'doing over'. Managed to video them making plans, had their names (which I already knew) mentioned and how they would get back to their house 'I'm not walking all the way to name-of-my-road Street'. I knew the lads and their reputation so called the non emergency police number and they took the piss a bit at me for reporting a non-crime event. So, good luck with your report!

Also, the chalk marks are a long standing Internet rumour used to warn about stolen pets, burglaries, attacks, drugs, rape/assault of the pretty occupant etc.... Snopes is your friend, use it.

I would have gone after him to see what he was up to, but I am generally brave (or some may say- foolhardy). When I had my house up for sale, I found a bloke looking through my lounge window. A car was on the drive so he would have suspected someone may have been home. He had a right telling off for his rudeness.

The neighbourhood morning Knocker-Upper running extremely late?

If he was dodgy then the likelihood is he was trying the door and when it didn't open he left.

Iv had a couple of friends who have been burgled during the day (whilst they were home) like this. One just walked in the house through the unlocked front door and stole the daughters handbag from the dining room while they were in another room and ran past her on the way out (she had come to investigate the door noise) and the other climbed in the open living room window and took her bag while she was in the toilet.

Both told me the burglar was in and out in just a few minutes.

Both live in a safe (as safe as they ever are) city in different not dodgy but not really posh just normal areas

There is something quite wrong with the op

He was probably just trying to see what the house number was.