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Original poster

Was I about to be burgled?

23 replies

Forestfan24 · 07/04/2022 07:36

I'm freaking out at the moment as on my own.

I was just woken up at 7am by someone knocking on my front door. I didn't notice the time but opened the window and a guy was walking down next doors path.

He saw I had opened the upstairs window and said something about fence post, apologised and mumbled he must have wrong house.

I thought nothing off it, got back in bed, noticed time and now freaking out. I do have a gate to round back but as I'm on a hill would be able to jump over next doors fence into side off house.

In my sleep deprived state I thought nothing off it and didn't notice where he went next or if he got in a car. There was nothing parked outside my house but could have been parked opposite. He was probably in his 40's, dressed in grey/white trousers and wasn't carry anything.

Would somebody do this in daylight? Due to road closure, the road is not as busy at the moment but still someone would have seen him. Is my imagination running away with me?

OP posts:
GeneLovesJezebel · 07/04/2022 07:40

Burglars don’t tend to knock on the door at 7am. Sounds like an honest mistake.
But if you’re concerned I’d ask the neighbour, whose path he was walking up, if they’d had a work man round at 7am.

mollibu · 07/04/2022 07:40

I don't think burglars tend to knock first?

I think it was a case of the wrong house.

clarkkentsglasses · 07/04/2022 07:41

7am .... don't think they'd be knocking

JohannSebastianBach · 07/04/2022 07:42

He got the wrong house, burglars don't tend to knock.

Original poster
Forestfan24 · 07/04/2022 07:45

I know I'm just a anxious person and my imagination is running wild and being on my own and no car on drive Next door would not be having anyone around to fix fence.

OP posts:
Original poster
Forestfan24 · 07/04/2022 07:46

But thought he'd be knocking to see if anyone would be in and him walking down next door drive

OP posts:
HollowTalk · 07/04/2022 08:06

If I were a burglar then I would knock on the door! I would want to know if anyone was in before burgling the place.

coodawoodashooda · 07/04/2022 08:10

A burglar wouldn't want to be seen in daylight. Go back to sleep.

NameChChChChanges1 · 07/04/2022 09:02

I had two men ring the bell at 2am once. They scarpered when I turned the hallway light on. So yes I think burglars do check sometimes.

WhereHasSpringSprungTo · 07/04/2022 09:12

We've recently had 2 break ins round here. One 11am one 2pm
So yes they do in daylight

ElenaSt · 07/04/2022 09:30

Sounds like your typical Amazon driver getting the wrong house.

Laptopsandmouses · 07/04/2022 09:44

I’m sure many burglars don’t have huge intelligence levels but they really don’t tend to know on your door of a morning in daylight op.

So no, you weren’t about to be burgled.

Evoll671 · 07/04/2022 14:14

We were burgled at midday so they do break in in daylight hours, but ours didn't knock first, just threw a brick through a rear window

MegaClutterSlut · 07/04/2022 14:35

No one can say for sure, if I were a burglar I'd knock first

The last few break ins in my area have been during the day. I've bought cameras for the front, side and back of the house to alert me if movements detected as its made me extra paranoid

junglejane66 · 07/04/2022 14:40

Did he have a bag with 'swag' written on it?

Franklin12 · 07/04/2022 14:46

Burglars absolutely do knock on your door. My DM was burgled. They knocked on the door. Someone was in but didnt answer. The back window was smashed but they stopped when they realised there was someone at home.

Its a common trick to ensure you wont be disturbed. Burglars are totally scumbags. We got burgled a few years ago but no one was in. Alarm went off and neighbour called the police. They missed them by seconds apparently

Franklin12 · 07/04/2022 14:48

Generally I understand (from the police) that burglars want an empty house. The footballers and celebs who are in when someone breaks in are a different matter. Apparently they need them in to let them into the safes.

SummerySumner · 07/04/2022 14:49

Someone tried to break into my house whilst I was there. So possibly.

gogohm · 07/04/2022 15:03

Doubt it, burglars either operate at night when people are asleep upstairs or during the day when people are likely to be at work - for the latter they may well ring the door first to check a house is empty but very unlikely at 7am when 90%+ houses will be occupied

Original poster
Forestfan24 · 07/04/2022 15:17

Thanks for the mixed answers! I know we will never know and if I was going to rob a house I'd knock to see if someone was in!

If he had walked away from my house I wouldn't think twice but to go next door and walk down there drive, where you can jump over the fence (as on a hill) to get round the side off house.

It's a council house, they put a gate up but it's hardly gonna stop someone, as you can get over next door fence if desperate. But they won't do anything. Or you could lean over next door fence and open bolt on gate, had delivery drivers do this (until put a padlock on).

I just wish i had watched where he went but in my sleep haze, got back in bed and thought oh shit was he going to break in. But he had disappeared

OP posts:
BoredZelda · 07/04/2022 15:39

Someone tried to break into my house whilst I was there. So possibly.

Did they knock first?

superplumb · 07/04/2022 17:18

Police officer here sadly burglars can knock before to check that no one is in esp if it's a time if day when someone may be in. If no answer they get in, if the occupant answers they make an excuse. Seen it lots of times. To the op, no way of telling other than speaking to the neighbours. If they had similar experience then I'd report it on 101 with his description if you recall it. It could be a genuine mistake of course

SummerySumner · 07/04/2022 18:33

@BoredZelda I don’t know, I was in the shower.

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