Prowler outside - what should we do? Photos attached

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I've just been woken by our 3 month old DD and saw that our home security camera sent us an alert triggered by a motion sensor at 1am (stills from the footage below).

Somebody with a rucksack seems to be checking out the front of our house and it looks as if he might have taken a photo of the front door as he was leaving the driveway.

I'm so freaked out. It seems like he's scoping us out for a burglary. What should we do? We'll contact the local PCSO in the morning but should we call 101 or anything . . . ?

Thank you for the advice, everyone - we're going to follow up on everything we can today.

I know that this guy is probably an opportunist but it's really unsettling.

I really feel for you op. My husband works away and I'd be so scared if this happened. I guess just stay determined to secure your property rather than letting them get to you is the only thing that can be done really.

If you have a Facebook safer neighbourhood group/neighbourhood watch group definitely share this on there. Yours won’t be the only house he’s visited.

My ex MIL once visited a ‘how to make your home burglary proof’ workshop. A former burglar was teaching them how to protect their homes.

It was given in the local community center and before the workshop started, the ex - burglar had done a walk around the neighborhood and taken pictures that he would break into and homes he wouldn’t break into. My ex MIL’s house was also photographed by him and categorized as ‘not interesting for burglary’. The reason?
Their dog, a Rottweiler, was visibly present in the house. My grandmother lived alone in a semi detached home and once heard burglars downstairs when she was in bed. She wasn’t worried at all, because she know who would take care of it. Her very kind to the grandchildren, but very protective shepherd dog. The burglars were out in less then a minute after hearing them, without taking anything.

Tomorrow put a notice on your door before bed saying ‘beware. Corona virus self isolation zone. Do not come in. please leave deliveries on the step’

That should scare them off for a couple of weeks - just put the note out once no normal guests or legitimate visitors (postman, newspaper boy etc) will see it.

Also do you have a local Facebook group? I’m on the one for my area plus two adjoining ones. People pop up pictures like yours and it’s really useful to be able to see the pattern of places they have been, timings etc.
Our local police were able to carry out an undercover operation one evening, based on the fact that they had built up a good picture of numbers, times, routes etc. which resulted in several arrests and scared others.

We have a girl round here who periodically goes to local estates and tries her luck with cars. She’s well known to the area and the police. Last time, so many people had CCTV of her that she was prosecuted. It is very unsettling to see someone trying your car door in your drive.

Question about locks and doors - are many burglaries from doors being kicked in/windows smashed/locks picked? Or are they mainly opportunistic?

We were burgled when I was a child - the sliding doors were lifted with a spade and the front door not double locked meant they could get out (the back doors were locked so they could only open a few inches). Horrible.

This is the stuff of my nightmares. Hope you are okay op.
I live on my own with my children and this worries me.

Is there any home cheap systems anyone would recommend? Not sure on how ring door bell works

Agree with AJT
On three occasions over the last few years my car door has been inadvertently left unlocked overnight.
And on each of those occasions it has been ransacked.
There are opportunistic thiefs all over - I live on a busy residential road in London.

Do ring doorbells actually work? My heart would be in my mouth every time there was an alert!

I leave the tv on downstairs, but muted. The lounge is at the front of the house, so it looks like someone is still up watching tv. It automatically turns off after four hours, so at about three am.

@TerrorWig I understand that it’s mainly through ‘lock snapping’ which is easy to do, takes seconds and needs no specialist tools. Locks on patio/secondary or rear doors tend to be easier to enter. The night our road was targeted it was a group of 4 that were jumping from one garden to the next, breaking in through patio doors to take car keys. Worryingly most people didn’t realise anyone had been in the house until they realised the car keys had disappeared.

We regularly get people posting things like this on our local community Facebook page. Appears these young people go out in the dead of night and try car doors and look for other thieving opportunities. Good idea to replace your doors asap and get some CCTV notifications stickers displayed.

our town has facebook - when people have things like this they place the pictures up & put out a question of "does anybody know who this is?"
It might be noticed by the men concerned or their friends which might warn them off especially if you mention "you have just bought a big dog"
Do you have a fancy car? Check on line to see if someone has put your house or car for sale.

I have made it very obvious on our community social media page, that we have cameras and are on a plan.

I find this is a fantastic way to get rid of troublemaking teens and would also be good for letting the local dodgy lot that your home is protected but only if you're in a close knit area or your home is very specific (I.e a farm or a business).
OP you need a motion sensor light (or two) and hopefully your cctv will work better lit up than in night vision mode?
Burglars hate being exposed and a light suddenly showing them up will scare them off.

Yikes! How scary, OP. But at least you're on high alert now.

We’ve ‘linked’ two lights (conservatory and living room) to the cctv so that any overnight motion outside turns on both lights for five minutes. Hopefully this looks like someone inside going ‘what was that noise? I better have a look’

I know it's easy to say now but you or your DH should have opened the window and shouted at them to let them know they'd been spotted. They'd have quickly scarpered after that.

Keep a downstairs light on. Most thieves are opportunists, if they can't get in easily or think someone might be up and about, they likely won't bother.

Question about locks and doors - are many burglaries from doors being kicked in/windows smashed/locks picked? Or are they mainly opportunistic?

I think most are opportunistic. I'm not sure about lock picking, but kicking in a door or smashing a window would make a lot of noise, which burglars tend to avoid because it will attract attention.

Post this onto your local community Facebook boards and tell all your neighbours, get the home security sorted and let your local neighbourhood watch know.

My friend is a police officer and she told me the biggest deterrents are leaving lights on inside the house overnight so maybe a hallway or front room light, outdoor lighting, a beware of the dog sign even if you don’t have a dog and CCTV signs plus actual cameras or fake ones if you can’t afford the real deal. I also recommend anti snap locks and a good alarm system. My Gran has a big dog because she lives alone so feels it protects her.

These types of photos are posted every day on my local Facebook group to warn people to lock their doors and cars, I'm guess most of the criminals are opportunists hoping for easy pickings.

Tbh, I'd print a pic of those stills, put them in a plastic wallet and pin it to my front door. If those scumbags come back, they'll know theyre being monitored.

There’s been a spate of catalytic converters thefts recently. Could it be that?

Given that the new trend is to break into houses to steal dogs, I would hold off with the dog sticker.

Can you get a London bar fitted by a locksmith? Lights on, use timers and ensure there is always at least one on during dusk and dark, more is better. Check windows are locked too.