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Original poster

Someone is trying to get in to our house

263 replies

piscofrisco · 15/12/2023 13:36

....it started in summer. I came in through the door, shut it behind me and put my keys down on the side. Went to go out later and the keys were gone. The car was still there on the drive. Two days later Iwa idly scrolling through Facebook and saw them on our local towns lost and found type forum. They had been found on a bus in an area of town that I have never been to.
We had a lot of people doing work on our house last year after a huge house fire. Any number of them could have copied the key.
We changed the locks and although very freaked out, just kind of carried on as usual.
A few months later dh was away with three of our kids. I was at home with dd1. We distinctly heard someone try they handles on all three our our exterior doors. The dogs were going off it. We were terrified. We called dh who thought we were winding him up. We told the police who said there was nothing we could do bar put a camera up. We duly installed a ring doorbell.
A few months passed with no incident until this past few weeks. Dh and I both laid up with Covid. In the lounge with the blinds shut. Someone aggressively knocked on the window right behind us. When we looked there was no one there and no one showed up on the ring camera (which shows the whole front driveway).
And now today. I'm
Wfh and I could hear someone rattling the side door handle. Dogs going mad. I thought it was dh back early and not taken his key. Went to look-no one there. Dh is at work still.
Ring camera is charging up so not on to check.
I am now pretty nervy when in the house on my own. I'm going to work from Starbucks this afternoon.
We have a sort of granny flat thing in the back garden which I daren't look in.
The police basically said just keep your doors locked.
What else can we do?

OP posts:
2jacqi · 15/12/2023 14:57

@piscofrisco you can buy battery operated trailcams which hang on trees and bushes around the garden. motion activated. just need to check them every time you have a problem. work at night too!!!

Shoppingfiend · 15/12/2023 14:59

I would buy some fishing line and have them stretched between shrubs here and there - and down the garden - and attached to bells/ tin cans/ whatever - it would give you an idea of what route they are using to get in. I would also have something sturdy by the door. Fishing line also gets tangled round your feet etc v easily.
I couldn't just lock up and wait for them to return.

Shoppingfiend · 15/12/2023 15:04

We had fires locally 'due to electricity fault' and other strange happening but latterly it turned out a ND neighbour who had a problem with noise was most likely the culprit but no proof - the hall that burned down was used for discos occasionally, our lawnmower was possibly too noisy, a neighbouring farmer used those banging bird scarers - stuff was spread over the field.

Shoppingfiend · 15/12/2023 15:07

And could you phone a neighbour if you hear something - so they can look out to see who's about.

Chilicabbage · 15/12/2023 15:08

Ratger than someone meankng serious physical harm, it will be just bullying. While unnerving, it's still better than the other.
Someone repeatedly trying to get into locked house doesn't make much sense tbh. Ao I would go with someone trying to stress you out. Any neighbour issues?
If not, speak with them

Goodlard · 15/12/2023 15:08

Cameras more cameras and cameras!

Seadreamers · 15/12/2023 15:10

I’d get CCTV to cover all entry points to your property - not just the house.

If you trust your neighbours (assuming it won’t be one of them) tell them what’s been happening and if they can keep an eye out for any people loitering near/on your property.

Chilicabbage · 15/12/2023 15:12

GerriKellman · 15/12/2023 14:00

This sounds really scary. There are Ring doorbell camera wifi jammers available which might also explain why no footage was captured.

I wonder if that means people will soon return to wired analogue cctv.

BelieveInYourElf · 15/12/2023 15:17

I'd go to a security co and get proper equipment and a panic button installed. You can't replace family

Original poster
piscofrisco · 15/12/2023 15:35

No neighbour issues that we know of-but who knows if we have inadvertently annoyed someone. The dogs like a bark in the garden when they see a squirrel etc.

The other thing going through my very over active mind is that I worked for 20 odd years managing services for severely mentally ill clients sometimes in the community. Not often in our town but sometimes. I suppose I'd be easy enough to find if someone had a mind to :(

OP posts:
FatMumSlimDad · 15/12/2023 15:38

Cameras are relatively cheap now.

I'd have them covering your entire perimeter.

We do anyway and no dodgy goings on.

Singleandproud · 15/12/2023 15:44

What type of dogs do you have? The type people want to steal and sell on?

MermaidEyes · 15/12/2023 15:45

I also agree, as many cameras as you can afford. Make sure doors are kept locked at all times. I'd also have a word with your neighbours. There's a possibility they may have experienced something similar and it's not just directed at you.

Sunandnomoon · 15/12/2023 15:47

I got a local security company to install cameras outside my house. They’re connected to the house power supply so I don’t have to charge them. That means they work 24/7 and I don’t miss anything. I’d suggest you do the same.

Original poster
piscofrisco · 15/12/2023 15:50

I think that's all there is for it. Bloody hell. It's coming to something when ordinary people have to live in Fort Knox!

The dogs are very much not ones anyone would want to steal. They are both comically unfortunate looking mongrels. We love them to death but they wouldn't be desirable to a dog pincher.

OP posts:
whatausername · 15/12/2023 15:57

Could someone have given your address as theirs? Perhaps a person who owes money or a drug debt or who has been involved in some kind of grievance. Perhaps a stretch but possible. More likely a bully or neighbour causing strife.

MrsAllsorts · 15/12/2023 15:58

OP, This sound awful!

Where were the dogs when the keys were taken, and why didn't they bark? I'm curious about that. I've had dogs, and they always know when there is somebody in the house, they hear more than we do.

DyslexicPoster · 15/12/2023 15:58

That’s scary, especially with the keys. I’d get cameras set up in your upstairs windows.

jeffgoldblum · 15/12/2023 15:59

@piscofrisco , I have the ring doorbell and camera , if you go into the app you can get it to emit a siren noise, next time you hear someone or the handles rattle , emit a siren it will scare the shit out of whoever it's is and alert the neighbours.

Stressedafff · 15/12/2023 16:04

cameras, cctv, motion detectors. Anything. OP I hope it gets sorted!

BellaTheDarkOverlord · 15/12/2023 16:16

You said you saw nothing on camera. Does this mean it didn’t trigger or it was recording and no one was there. If the former you need cctv that is recording constant not just a triggered one. Also flood light installed outside the doors. Have cameras on all the doorways including a big notice saying cctv in operation here.

Original poster
piscofrisco · 15/12/2023 16:17

Ours is not ring but Costco's Version. I will look to see if ours does that.

Day of the key taking, I came in, carrying a parcel. Put it down, left the keys on the hall table where I always do. Shut the door behind me. Then let the dogs out and did some gardening as I was at the time trying to create a sort of wild flower meadow at the bottom of it so I was trying to get the old grass up to lay wildflower turf. Dog 1 was with me barking at the spade (pain in the bum). Dog 2 was asleep on the bench. I know this because I thought she looked cute so I sent a picture of her to my family wattsapp. Was out there for a few hours, came back in to go and pick dd up and no keys.
Front door locked, side door and gate locked, back door open but visible from the end of the garden where I was. The awake dog would have noticed someone coming in to the garden but maybe not through the front door as he was outside with me.
Keys found the day after by a man on a bus the other side of town and not a bit of the area I've ever been to.

OP posts:
Original poster
piscofrisco · 15/12/2023 16:19

I'm going home now. Dh should be back at half five. I refuse to be kept out of my own house!

OP posts:
jeffgoldblum · 15/12/2023 16:22

piscofrisco · 15/12/2023 16:19

I'm going home now. Dh should be back at half five. I refuse to be kept out of my own house!

Good for you 👍 , keep safe and keep us updated, I will be worrying about you otherwise 💐

BreatheAndFocus · 15/12/2023 16:24

Could it be children or teens? Hypothesis: they saw you didn’t lock the door that time so sneaked in and pinched your keys simply because they were there. You’ve now got new locks, but maybe they’re hoping you’ll leave a door unlocked again and they can sneak in again and steal cash or tech equipments or just get up to mischief, so they’re trying the door handles.

Why you? They’ve identified you as someone who doesn’t (didn’t) always lock their door.

I had kids begin to sneak in to my flat once (caught them in the hall). They must have seen me come in with bags of shopping and not lock the door. They then opened it and I didn’t hear them come in, but heard giggling and found them in my hallway. Even though they weren’t threatening, it still shook me.

Cameras and security lights are good detergents as are timer lights. Tbh, this doesn’t sound like burglars because they usually ring the bell to see if anyone’s home before going around the side or back of the house.