Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Protection built in.

Meet the Other Phone.
Protection built in.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Chat

Join the discussion and chat with other Mumsnetters about everyday life, relationships and parenting.

Original poster

Someone is turning on our outside tap

332 replies

SpacePug · 07/07/2020 10:24

I think someone is coming into our back garden. Today and Sunday morning , the garden tap has been turned on and the hose adaptor pulled off so it is spraying on the floor until we notice.
On Sunday I thought that we had left it turned on (with the hose attached we wouldn't know ) as the hose and adaptor were on the floor nearby and maybe the pressure made it come off. But its happened again and I know for sure we have not turned the tap on, and the adaptor seems to be missing.

What's going on?! We have had a new fence and gate recently so it is high and sturdy. The only other way someone could get in is via next doors garden, then climbing on things to get over that lower fence Confused

We have known of 2 occasions in the past (we have lived here a year) where someone has 100% been in the garden because the plastic shed lid was left up. But we had our old rickety fence and broken gate back then. Someone kicked it in we think as it was hanging off anyway so we had no gate for a couple of weeks. We haven't had that problem since getting the new fence up as they wouldn't be able to get in now. (There was a footprint on the gate when we first had it put up, so some one tried to kick it down, but had nothing of the sort for a few months.
We also put up security lights In that area.
Next step, we will get a camera! Why would someone do this?

OP posts:
Thread gallery
9
Boomerwang · 13/07/2020 04:43

Placemarking. I have to know the outcome.

The Curious Case Of The Fox In The Nighttime.

Ernieshere · 13/07/2020 05:03

Im with the fox theory Bear

Loveinatimeofcovid · 13/07/2020 05:25

I’m really shocked that no one has come on here to demonise the homeless fox for not following government social distancing guidelines.

Imissmoominmama · 13/07/2020 05:53

But the gate has been kicked in once, then the new one had a footprint on it. Not a paw or hoof print (or whatever badgers have at the end of their legs...)

Imissmoominmama · 13/07/2020 06:07

I just googled badger feet. They have 5 toes with long non-retractable claws which are as strong as steel. I’ve found your culprit OP.

strongteawith2sugars · 13/07/2020 11:43

I am 100% invested in this thread now. Can’t wait for your update

MaryRaddy · 13/07/2020 11:47

Also invested. Blatant place mark.

NinkiNonkiNikau · 13/07/2020 11:56

How interesting

combatbarbie · 13/07/2020 11:59

We had this when our tap was on front of house.... It was teens but this situation seems more eerie. My natural reaction was a window cleaner but not overnight 🤔

Worstemailever · 13/07/2020 17:30

Make sure that your cameras are working properly and that you get decent night vision images. Because we're expecting high quality stills of the culprit!!

Murinae · 13/07/2020 18:07

Our neighbour wanted to fill up his hot tub with our outside tap as he didn’t have one! Probably did it while we were at work as our water bill was always high in that house. We’ve moved now.

AtTheWinchester · 13/07/2020 19:45

@Murinae I'm baffled as to why one would buy a hot tub when one doesn't have the means to fill it!

PawPatrolMakesMeDrink · 13/07/2020 19:47

Oh gosh I wonder who it is!

ThickFast · 13/07/2020 19:47

Could one of you be sleep walking? It’s so weird.

cretelover · 13/07/2020 19:48

I need to know the outcome, blatant placemarking

Bemorechicken · 13/07/2020 19:54

Hope you get an answer - I had this in an old house -the outside tap was round the side of my house and I'd find it on -sometimes it had been running for days -we put a camera up -it was the neighbour (?!).

GotOutOfBedOnTheWrongSide · 13/07/2020 20:09

When you do catch it on camera, pleaseee can you post a photo of the culprit (obviously blur face if it's human) far too invested in this!

BurnIt · 13/07/2020 20:16

Oooooooh @bemorechicken what happened? Did you confront them?

TamzinGrey · 13/07/2020 20:19

We had this but it was our front garden tap. All captured on our security camera and it was a man delivering charity bags, who was wanting to fill his water bottle. Ripped our hose off so violently that he broke the connector. Didn't get him anywhere because we had an internal stopcock fitted when we got the outside tap and it's always turned firmly off to avoid any leakage of our metered water.

If only he'd knocked on the door I would gladly have filled his bottle for him.

safariboot · 13/07/2020 21:20

Hopefully the cameras are reasonably well concealed so, if it's a person, they don't notice.

The fact that the tap's being left on is what makes me think it's malicious, if it is a person. Someone who just wanted a drink or to fill a bucket would turn it off afterwards, unless they're a total shithead.

BlueThursday · 13/07/2020 21:20

tamzin I can’t imagine hose water is that nice to drink unless you’d been without it for days! What a strange thing to do!

Newdad19 · 13/07/2020 21:28

@SpacePug we had this exact problem last year. It turned out a few neighbours in the street also did and it all came to a head when one day one of the neighbours had their whole house emptied by burglars.

Don't want to scare you but the police confirmed its a known new tact that happens over summertime where burglars turn on tapsnin a number of gardens overnight. They return a day or 2 later and any where the tap is still on gives them an indication the owner is likely on holiday. In the case of our street they arrived one evening with 2 moving vans, emptied the house quite casually and nobody noticed a thing until one neighbour spotted the house was empty and the owners were on hol.

Keep vigilant!

fastnfurious · 13/07/2020 21:30

Must be an animal surely. Can't wait to find out

Fettfrett · 13/07/2020 21:42

Amazon blink cameras are cheap and easy to set up. I would want to catch the culprit in the act or I'd be forever wondering who/what/why. If they've already messed with your shed then the tap, stopping them turning on the tap might just make them move on to something weirder.

Xiaoxiong · 13/07/2020 22:37

Just rereading your OP, you say that there was a footprint on the gate so someone tried and failed to kick it down - so you think they're coming over the fence instead. Do either of your cameras point towards the bit of the fence you suspect? I'm worried you might miss the culprit if they're not using your gate! (I'm assuming the gate is locked...)