Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. A phone that grows with your child.

Meet the Other Phone.
A phone that grows with your child.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To not understand why someone was taking photos of my house and trying the door handle in broad daylight?

51 replies

Alexindisguise · 29/09/2017 21:25

I don't really think they were trying to break in, as it's a busyish road and it was 4:30pm. But what on earth could they have been doing?

My neighbour spotted a couple hanging round my house yesterday, they were in their 50's, man wearing a hat, woman wearing sunglasses. He took photos of the house, then of her stood in front of it. She then tried the front door.

My neighbour went out and asked what they were doing, they ran up the road and sped off in a car.

Any guesses what they were up to?

It's unsettled me.

OP posts:
blueberrypie0112 · 30/09/2017 06:44

But then again, I have took photos of unique homes and gardens that I love ❤️ (my dream house) like Tudor homes

WhooooAmI24601 · 30/09/2017 06:53

Apparently lots of people don't lock their doors during the day - thieves knock and if no answer, try the door.

There's been a huge increase in these types of burglaries in our area lately. I sat with DH at the kitchen table a few months ago after coming in from a night out. We'd just put the DCs to bed and he'd made a drink, we both heard the front door go (it makes an odd sort of grunt when it's opened, no other sound in the house like it) and DH and I both sat and took a second to realise what it was; a grown man was stood in our hallway clearly looking for anything to grab. Fortunately we both clicked into action; DH (who is a solid rugby-player-sort) ran at him, shoulder-shoved him towards the door, he bounced off the wall, I screamed "get the fuck out" and he bolted. DH phoned the police immediately and my phone pinged; we have a Ring doorbell which takes photos of anyone approaching then sends them to me; we had a near-perfect image of him for when the police arrived.

Fortunately nothing was taken, nobody was hurt and he was caught (and had done this many, many times; they found all sorts of other people's belongings when they caught up with him and he was well-known to the police way before our visit) but it's the boldest thing I've ever seen; just walking brazenly into someone's home.

Lock your doors through the day, every day.

whiteroseredrose · 30/09/2017 06:59

I'm into family history and went for a drive with my uncle as he showed me some of the houses my ancestors lived in.

I took pictures of them - but no trying of door handles!

TheCatsMother99 · 30/09/2017 07:00

I don't really think they were trying to break in, as it's a busyish road and it was 4:30pm

Don't let the time fool you. I know someone who was burgled during the afternoon school run, the thrives turned up in a removals van and high vis jackets, pretending to be removal men and took as much as they could in the space of 15 mins.

Original poster
Alexindisguise · 30/09/2017 11:35

We own the house and it's honestly not worthy of a photo, 60 years old, not pretty etc.

The police have logged it as attempted burglary and are supposed to be calling me today. My neighbour got the car reg.

Time to start being more vigilant and double checking doors etc.

OP posts:
Babyiwantabump · 30/09/2017 11:49

whooooo what is this doorbel you speak of?

It takes photos? How?

Monkeypuzzle32 · 30/09/2017 11:56

4.30pm is prime burglary time believe it or not! Id say either they were rental scamming or looking for places to burgle although I have heard of Chinese tourists being fascinated by ordinary houses.

Fluffypinkpyjamas · 30/09/2017 11:59

My neighbour went out and asked what they were doing, they ran up the road and sped off in a car

Clearly up to no good. Trying the door of someone elses house is never going to be a good thing.

chloesmumtoo · 30/09/2017 12:08

Yes definitely suspicious if they ran off after being confronted. That may be their trick to fool people into thinking they are a viewer and an estate/renting agent type scenario. So anyone watching are fooled into thinking it is legit with them entering your home. I would definitely report as others have said and keep your door locked.
No one innocent is going to run off, they would just say eg they used to live their and explain themselves.

TheCountessofFitzdotterel · 30/09/2017 12:10

My brother had one of those broad daylight burglaries where they just strolled in through the unlocked front door (his kids were small then and played in the front garden) and grabbed his MIL's handbag.

PastryOnMyMind · 30/09/2017 12:15

there's a doorbell company called "ring" which have a little camera on them straight to your smartphone. quite pricey as doorbell go but worth it for the peace of mind. we were looking into it after neighbours came round shouting abuse at 2am, forgot about them until this reminded me.
very odd behaviour to try somebody's door agree with what previous posters have said about keeping an eye out on gum tree and similar. glad to hear you have vigilant neighbours! hopefully they'll find them.

Ninabean17 · 30/09/2017 12:32

My neighbour was burgled a few days ago at 3 in the afternoon. Tried our gate first but it's a lot bigger than next door's. Smashed their way through the door. Such a horrible thing to do to someone.

HappyAxolotl · 30/09/2017 12:47

There has been the odd spate of this in my parents' area. Traditional Northern back-to-back terraces with front doors that open from the pavement into a small hall with the stairs ahead and the living room door on one side. People often keep keys hanging near the door and dump handbags in the hall but don't lock the door in the day. The thieves simply stroll up the street at a quiet time of day and test every door handle and presumably the photos are the houses & cars the keys belong to.

LucieLucie · 30/09/2017 13:30

Definitely sounds like a pair of thieves using the camera as a decoy.

Most burglaries / sneak sneak in thefts are carried out during the day in plain sight. Many use females as a spotter/ lookout who can step in if theirs any confrontation as most people wouldn’t think a female would be involved in burglary.

Another tactic is for them to be delivering leaflets and trying door handles at the same time, also to pretend to be looking for someone unknown/random if caught at the door.

Honestly, give a thief a yellow high vis vest or a clip board / camera and no one bats an eye lid.

MsPavlichenko · 30/09/2017 13:35

It was actually my XMIL that took photos. We were looking on (at a distance) in disbelief. It wasn't amusing. As I said apparently he had form. Only time we actually saw him doing it. Made sure of that.

QueenBeex · 30/09/2017 13:39

Whatever the explanation is, there's no reason for attempting to open someone's door, even if you lived there as a child.

thatdearoctopus · 30/09/2017 13:59

My brother took my elderly dad on a trip down Memory Lane last week, finding the houses that he lived in as a child, as well as those his parents were born in. So we're talking early 1900s.
They wouldn't be trying door handles of course, but they might well have posed outside for a posterity pic. No neighbours would have recognised him, unless they had lived there in the 1930s or early 1900s.

Miraclesparklestars · 30/09/2017 13:59

I had similar years ago. I live in quite a secluded area. Once you reach my house, there's nowhere else to go unless you walk back, so people don't often come down here (poor street lighting - you can't see a thing after 4.30pm in winter)
I heard someone out the front and assumed that they were for my neighbour (I was watching TV without the light on) until I heard a key in my door. I got up and as I was walking, they started kicking my door to open it. I switched the hallway light on and they ran. Left the key in the door as well.

Another time, broad daylight, I was sat at the computer which was by my window, saw a man walk straight to my front door and start bloody thumping and kicking it. Again, as soon as I switched the light on, he ran!

Sohurt17 · 30/09/2017 14:13

Miracle gosh that sounds scary. How did the first one have a key?

Miraclesparklestars · 30/09/2017 14:18

Sohurt17 It wasn't a key to my door! It fitted in my lock, but didn't turn to unlock the door (if that makes sense)
They were trying to turn the key (although it wouldn't budge) whilst kicking the door in the hope it would open I imagine.
My friends key fits in my lock, but it wont turn or anything and it takes a great deal of force to pull it back out as well (hence why they ran and left the key in my lock!Grin)

notreallythere · 30/09/2017 14:25

Ooh this thread has rattled me. I'm home alone and was doing some gardening earlier, reading this made me remember I never locked the back door when I came in.

CherryChasingDotMuncher · 30/09/2017 14:31

This is a bit of a random story but I promise I have a point - When I was pregnant with DS we were driving home after a meal and, presumably because we were going slow-ish with DD in the back and me being pregnant, the car behind us was tailgating us. So DH slowed down to let them overtake. This riled them as 2 burly bald blokes got out and chucked the beers they were drinking (even the driver!) at our windscreen. DH drove off and they chased us for miles. Luckily we have a very nippy car and DH is a good driver so we lost them, but I was paranoid that they had actually managed to follow us and knew our address.

The next night at about 10.30pm someone furiously tried to get into the house when me and DD were all alone. I was crapping myself thinking it was the drunk drivers.

Turns out it was the woman who was watering next door’s plants while they were away, she’d got the wrong house and couldn’t understand why the key didn’t work. She was very apologetic, it was just a bad coincidence that it happened after this car chase.

My point is - could they think you were someone else??

Original poster
Alexindisguise · 30/09/2017 14:38

Some scary stories. If I'm honest I rarely lock the door when I'm home during the day. It's now locked!

OP posts:
glitterfarts · 30/09/2017 17:02

I was taking photos of my friend in front of a house in Windsor yesterday. Sorry if I freaked you out.
We didn't talk to a neighbour or try the door, however, but did just walk off and get in a car and drive to the town centre.

We did stand on the pavement having a photo for her parents, and discussing and pointing to the house (she lived there til 5, was pointing out what was where and telling stories).

As she is now 40, your neighbour wouldn't know her in our situation.

Original poster
Alexindisguise · 30/09/2017 18:11

It's ok glitter Grin wrong area!

OP posts: