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Original poster

Loft hatch wifi burglar/poo leaver? Help me through the night please.

358 replies

Thattwatoverthere · 05/04/2018 22:43

There was a thread similar to this a while back that I can't find now but I promise I'm not a copy cat troll!

Last night i noticed that the loft hatch was open in the babies room. I definitely didn't do it, OH says he didn't do it. The cupboard under the TV where the electric and wifi box are was open yesterday, again, neither of us had opened it.
I called the police to report this last night and explained that I'm often alone with an 8 week old baby and that the house is really not secure (rental). Their next steps were to raise with their team manager and to contact me within 24 hours if they felt they needed to take it further, put it on record if not. Presumably this would be useful when I've been murdered in my sleep but whatever.
I've called the lettings agent who would get someone round to look at the locks that aren't locking.
I've heard nothing back from either. My life has no value clearly.

I've been blamed twice in the last fortnight for leaving a poo in the toilet by OH when I definitely, definitely haven't. Clothes have gone missing presumed lost somewhere and the wifi speed has dropped significantly over the last few weeks.

I'm concerned.

I have a CCTV style baby monitor that wasn't being used that I've set up in the living room to monitor anyone getting in which I thought was a pretty genius idea but forgot that you can talk the other way too. Tonight I'm pretty sure someone was talking through it. OH is working away but swears that it wasn't him. I need to be brave enough to get close enough to unplug it now.

There is access through the lofts from the other houses and only one key was given from the lettings agent so presumably another key is somewhere else out there. I can always hear footsteps from the houses either side of me which used to be reassuring when I was by myself. NOT ANY MORE!

Tomorrow I'm permanently closing both loft hatches, changing all locks and learning self defence. In the meantime help me get through the night. What can I do to make it as safe as I can? or channel Kevin from Home Alone And can I do anything on the wifi to see if someone else has signed up to mine?

I was a lot braver in the daylight...

I've got my baby asleep on me and I don't think she'll be much use if I'm confronted.

OP posts:
RunMummyRun68 · 07/04/2018 22:31

why bolts on the inside?

Janus · 07/04/2018 22:33

I’m still traumatised by that Luther episode, don’t google or watch it!!!
I have known someone who had that shared loft space too, I’d hate it! Definitely board it up with solid wood and proper locks.

Rattail · 07/04/2018 22:40

You can check devices connected to the wifi. See if anything unusual was/is on there

sleepylittlebunnies · 07/04/2018 22:49

I grew up in a large Victorian terrace of 8 houses, the whole row of attics were originally open. There was no access to the space at all until birds got in through a hole in someone’s roof and my dad made a hatch in the top landing ceiling to free them after the neighbour replaced their slates. I remember my brother and his mate sneaking into each other’s houses through the hatches, so it’s definitely possible.

Some of the attics are now blocked off but my parents is still open just to next door. My dad got up there to have a look after next door had their loft insulated, the contractors had dumped all the rubbish in my parents side and put a boot through an unused bedroom ceiling, hopefully they didn’t take a dump in their loo too 😬

mylifestory · 07/04/2018 22:55

Put sellotape on the hatch etc etc then you'll known if anything's been disturbed ....

Grilledaubergines · 07/04/2018 22:57

Just wondering why an eight week old baby is in their own room. I mean it's not illegal to put them in their own room grinbut most people have them still in with them at this point.

What a thing to pick out from everything!Grin

My DSs were in their own rooms from the day they came home from hospital. Call the Police!

SimonBridges · 07/04/2018 23:18

why bolts on the inside?

The bolts were inside the house.
To stop people coming through.
No one used their lofts though as we all had cellars.

Penguin34 · 07/04/2018 23:27

Scary stuff!

Chickoletta · 07/04/2018 23:37

Glad you're ok, OP. Let us know what the police say.

Hawkmoth · 07/04/2018 23:44

Our lofts have walls between them, but when we had it converted and looked closer there was more than enough room for a person to sequence through. Of course the cats had a wonderful few weeks exploring the neighbours lofts, they were black and full of fleas (indoor cats). But now we have proper firewalls between us and both sides I am much more comforted.

Smeaton · 07/04/2018 23:55

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

applesauce1 · 07/04/2018 23:56

I haven't read the whole post, but there's a podcast called Criminal that ran an episode that really reminds me of this situation.

Woman on her own in her flat. She'd hear footsteps above her and she was the top floor. Put it down to just being a bit mad. She'd find food missing and think she'd eaten it without realising it.
She had a puppy, and on one occasion, she got home to find the bathroom flooded and the puppy in the sink, and had no idea how it got there.
One day, she was in the bath, and she looked up, and saw the loft hatch open. She'd never been in the loft or opened it and she lived alone.
She slowly and quietly got out of the bath, put on a dressing gown, picked up her puppy and legged it to her sister and brother in law's house. Her brother in law went to investigate and found evidence of someone having been living in the attic space above her flat. They had been going in and out through the bathroom loft hatch.

The message this girl had, was that if something doesn't feel right, don't put it down to yourself being mad, and trust your instincts.

OP. If I were you, I'd be out of that house immediately.

mommy2018 · 08/04/2018 00:21

oh Jesus Christ this is just great.
I've only just come across this thread and am now shitting myself!
Random clothes, food, general items have gone missing from my house, my wifi is slow as fuck too and possibly even more worrying is that our dog goes randomly mad (trashing the dining room) in an attempt to get out but only say 6 times out of 10.
I also was only given 1 key wen I moved in but have been told there should be keys to the front door and 3 to the back door.
😟😟😟

RunMummyRun68 · 08/04/2018 00:30

Change your locks!!!!
Check your loft!!!!

PotteryLady · 08/04/2018 00:49

Be Kevin from home alone and set up traps around the houseSmile

Crispbutty · 08/04/2018 00:50

I would be shitting myself! I couldn’t stay in the house.

Abbylee · 08/04/2018 03:10

OP, we only have one life that we are sure about; if you are afraid, listen to your intuition. I came home one night to find my sunroom door open, I called the police. They came and checked, found no-one, but told me that I did the right thing.

I also wondered about previous poster who had similar situation. Doesn't matter if she was fake. YOU and baby did exactly the right thing.

Viola59 · 08/04/2018 07:15

When my husband left me and I was alone with 14 month old and toddler I used to feel there was someone in the house/ I was being watched.We lived in semi detached house . Talked to neighbour who said it was probably squirrels in the attic. One night heard a noise like a radio above me for a second. Called police, they came straight away. Found my ex- he had been there for two weeks apparently.As it was jointly owned house they couldn’t take any action.Weirdest thing was as the police left- 4 had arrived! one of them said to me”You are a lovely woman - if you want to go for a drink call me on this number!!. This was fifteen years ago- don’t think a police officer would do this now!

diodati · 08/04/2018 07:47

Dang! I've never lived in a terraced house. But our current home is a duplex and access to the attic is a trap door on the ceiling of my bedroom closet. And the neighbour's a raving lunatic (told me and my mum to fuck off when he was in rage mode).

PrancingQueen · 08/04/2018 08:07

Janus that Luther episode still gives me nightmares too! Scariest thing I ever saw 😱

MyOtherProfile · 08/04/2018 08:43

Shouldn't have read the Dear David storify just before bed...

Awhoosh · 08/04/2018 08:50

@Viola59 what happened with your ex? Were you able to get rid of him? That sounds very upsetting. (And weird police behaviour!)

Pettynotvindictive · 08/04/2018 08:53

Can somebody please tell me which series of Luther you're all talking about please?
They are all on Netflix and I can't see loft or attic in any description!
I'm up for a Sunday morning scare.

Op, I do hope it just turns out to be some friendly faeces leaving ghost. It'll just take a shake of sage to rid

PancakeBum · 08/04/2018 08:56

Petty

It's series 3 episode 1.

PancakeBum · 08/04/2018 08:57

But it goes across, 2 episodes. Can't remember if the loft bit is in the first or second.