Someone just looked through my letter box

[listsandbudgets]

The outer porch door was unlocked. Our house has a long hall with the sitting room at the back so if sitting room door open I can see front door from sofa if that makes sense. About 10 minutes ago I thought I heard someone in the porch and then the dog barked and when I looked up I could see our letter box was opened up and there was someone looking through. Dog was racing down the hall and jumped up at door barking and whoever it was disappeared leaving outer door wide open.

At home alone with kids and completely freaked out - I doubt they had any good intent. Glad dog reacted though she's a soppy spaniel so not exactly top grade guard dog but she certainly earned her bed and board just now. Hopefully she's put him off the idea.

Also, what do these people recommending taking car keys upstairs think that they’re going to do? Fight the burglar off and retain their keys? It’s hoping in vain to think the burglar won’t come upstairs and there’s realistically no chance that it won’t end in the burglars favour if they do

I’ve been burgled (years ago) and was very glad I had my handbag upstairs with me. Everything valuable downstairs went, the dog was useless, but at least I had my keys and cards.

It's a massive risk to have taken though - people are killed and injured in home burglaries by people who will do whatever it takes to get your keys and valuables.

The OP has a doorbell camera. She stated in her original post that she didn't recognise the guy looking in the letterbox when she checked the footage.

I'd report.

There's a lot going on like that in my area, trying doors and cars

Any update Op?

Morning all

Everything fine. I called police early this morning and they're going to send me instructions on uploading the footage to some kind of online system and they will feed it into local " intelligence " whatever that means. They didn't seek massively concerned to be honest.

Soke briefly with neighbours and they said they thought they heard someone try their door at about the same time so he was obviously trying his luck.

Thanks for all the advice and concern.

Most burglars are opportunists looking for easy takings - handbag and laptop, car keys in the hall - that kind of thing. They don't want to confront angry dogs or humans so it sounds like your dog did a grand job. Remember to lock up carefully and they will move on to easier pickings.

Thanks for updating us OP. Glad you’re OK.

Good to know about the update, hope it all settles down now

No, you leave a decoy bag full of odds and sods of no value and an old purse of foreign coins and expired cards downstairs. Take the one with your purse keys etc upstairs. They'll think they have the real deal, they won't have time to check.
Oh and all our 50 years worth of keys are junked together in a box, if they found the box it'd take then an age to work out which set of keys for which vehicle (you have t know for some of them are definitely not obvious) and give them a right headache working out which vehicle has a flat battery and won't start, and thus which order to take vehicles off the drive to get the only half decent one! All behind locked gates too!

@WinterMorn I meant it as a genuine question, what do you expect the police to do, as nothing happened. My experience is something very serious has to happen before they will turn up. My direct experience is they did not turn up for a burglary, totally uninterested. Someone drove into my car, refused to get out of their car or even wind their window down and drove off. Went straight to police station, couldn't get in as they had the doors locked. They didn't even try to find the driver just told me to claim off MY insurance. Witnesses met me at the station ready to make a statement and police not bothered. We were all shocked. I can honestly say I have never seen a PCSO in my area and have not seen an actual real police officer walking around my town in several years. Around here the police are absolutely useless and lazy.

Glad you spoke with the police OP.

People asking what the police will do, this was most likely an opportunist and they didn't get into OPs house but someone 10 doors down might have been burgled and now they have a potential suspect.

I'd put it on local groups if I were you OP, it might help someone out.

I would phone police immediately - they are very keen to catch burglars and if this person is known to them, they'd be delighted to get them off the streets. Lock everything and make sure your car keys (if you have one) are out of sight.

I work with young offenders and honestly op, just leave the real bag downstairs. I understand why people are telling you bring it upstairs or make a decoy etc but really it is not worth taking the risk of drawing someone further into your home than they absolutely have to be. Most burglars just want to get in and out without coming across you, if they do come across you things are more likely to get out of hand and become dangerous because someone is likely to panic. My handbag and dh wallet and all sets of keys are always by our front door so noone needs to be any further into my home than they need to be. They can't be seen from outside but they'd be quickly reached if someone got inside.

I hope you're feeling OK op, that would have really spooked me.

Report to the non emergency line and keep the footage it helps make a case if he’s done anything worse to neighbours. We’ve had people try our front door before that’s why I make sure our front door is locked now it is terrifying especially as you don’t know the persons intent.

Call the Police OP. For all you know they might have tried other houses in the area and others might also have footage.

No wish to frighten anyone, but I will tell you how I was burgled, because it was so easy and ridiculous.
I had a solid wood door with a pretty stained glass panel.
I was out. They smashed the glass, reached in, and undid my yale lock.
Strangely, the neighbours who could tell me every visitor I had, saw nothing.
Might be worth checking you are not so easily accessible.

I'll tell you what's even easier snapping the cylinder on lots of locks. It's scary.
Watch some tube videos!

I upgraded the cylinders to ones with a bit designed to snap off while keeping the lock intact, look for BS 3 star locks.

I wouldn't recommend this, car key theft is a big issue round here but they go looking for the keys, a lady next door woke up to a burglar rummaging through her handbag which she kept next to the bed, she looked over in the night and there he was - it's given her a horrid amount of trauma and they want to move now. If they're after car keys leave them in an obvious spot downstairs - yes it's horrid but better that than them going upstairs to hunt in bedrooms for them and risk you bumping into them/having any kind of altercation or them being near your children. The recommended action for vulnerable people/single people especially was to leave car keys downstairs and near the front door (not in view of the letterbox/front windows though)- if they're coming for that reason, they're going to hunt high and low for them (generally speaking they were targeting high value cars like range rovers, so probably does depend on the car you have too and the area you are in). My view on burglars is that once they're in they can take whatever they want, I just don't want my family getting hurt or coming into contact with them. The police recommend this to avoid coming into a contact with thieves (out of sight but downstairs in easy access)The AA offers similar instructions: "Don't be tempted to take keys upstairs with you. Many thieves won't think twice if you stand between them and the keys to the car they want."

I've always taken my handbag upstairs with me. For one, it's got my comb in! And how would I do online shopping in bed without my credit card to hand?

The car keys aren't in it. But as it's a 15 year old Fiesta worth £600, I doubt anyone wants it.

Take the card and comb and leave the bag downstairs?

My parents were broken into last year and were on their way upstairs when my dad (who hadn't heard a thing) happened to get up to go to the toilet and they scarpered.

You don't want to wake up to burglars in your bedroom, believe me.

What, decant my comb and card out of the handbag and leave a handbag containing tissues, lipsalve, handcream and my freedom pass downstairs for burglars to take?! I've read some ridiculous things on here in my time but that beats the bunch!

They'd have probably a dozen other handbags to go through first on their way upstairs before they found the one with my comb and freedom pass in!

Any update @listsandbudgets ?