Found on our doorstep - what is it?

[oscarcat99]

See picture - it's about the length of my index finger and metal. DH suspects criminal intent! Can anyone identify it?

It looks more like a hinge type thing you know the type you get on airers, where you unfold and hook

It's very bulky for a lock pick? And what would the little L shape be for?

Ring doorbell needed!

OP, don't touch it with your fingers.

Bag it using a new sandwich bag if you have one, tag it with time, date, location, and then tomorrow take it to the police.

There's no evidence of tampering on the lock and it's fairly sturdy. The windows aren't a kind you could prise open (don't know how to explain but the fastening allows opening 3 depths but prevents the window from opening all the way and it has an additional lock on the side of each). So if someone has tried, hopefully they have been put off at least?!

The 'don't touch it' window has passed sadly. Def going to get a Ring doorbell, a few neighbours have them so will check if anyone picked anything up.

It looks to short for a lock pick as well, thats not reaching any pins

The end the hook is on is too short for it to be a lock pick. They tend to have more length between handle (it also doesn't have a deformed handle) and hook. This would not pick a lock, the hook wouldn't go far enough into a lock to be effective.

God the imaginations on here. 😂 that’s not a lock pick that’s a hinge or hook for something.

Formed handle that should say; not deformed

Do you have anti-snap locks?

Just a thought - magpies like shiny things and will steal anything. It could have been dropped by one flying through your garden.

Its definitely not a bike type thing. Not flat enough.
And I don't think it's a lock pick as too hooky and not pointy enough. Although I'm not an expert on picking locks 😄

Could it be the hinge on the postman's pully-bag thing?

Dint believe it’s a lock pick, the hook bit is to thick and it’s the wrong shape

Looks to me like it’s a hinge of a camping chair or something similar

Have you got the Google Lens App? Take a photo of it & I think it will identify it?

It's a component from something and nothing sinister.

The L shaped hole is designed to have another piece move within it and act as a stay.

Could be completely unrelated but I’ve read recently that burglars are leaving things on doorsteps to see if they disappear. If they don’t then they know there’s no one at home. It’s usually a lot more stuff than one random piece of plastic though, like a whole tin of food

@Divebar2021

No one picks locks nowadays

Oh they do! I was burgled and found out there was an Instagram account called “mista dinger”, dinger being a stolen car.

It was full of people sending anonymous vids of themselves breaking / picking locks and driving stolen cars.

It even had people in clubs doing a “dance move” that was basically the hand motion it takes to break a house lock

That Instagram account thankfully lead to lots of arrests

I think it’s a lock pick too. It prob used to be part of a set like this hence the holes?

I've never seen a lock picking device before, but I've also never come across a lock that could be unlocked by sticking that thing in it.

I agree it looks like some sort of hinge or clip off something.

@RLOU30

I think it’s a lock pick too. It prob used to be part of a set like this hence the holes?

But look at the difference in the length of it. The thing OP posted would not fit inside a lock!

It makes me think of the little hooks they use to hang on the hanger things in shops. Like a packet of underpants or socks or something.

Also, I never hear of locks being picked these days? Does it still happen? Or are modern locks too good to be easily picked?

@TheChip

It makes me think of the little hooks they use to hang on the hanger things in shops. Like a packet of underpants or socks or something.

Yes, that was my first thought too.

OH says part of a punch down tool for network cabling. Just part of it though. Google image search 'krone punch tool'