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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:
diodati · 06/04/2018 01:36

My heart's pounding after reading this. Glad you got yourself and LO to your DM's. Sleep well & keep us posted!

Prusik · 06/04/2018 01:50

This is properly creepy

RedWineAllMine · 06/04/2018 02:22

Whoever it is they seem to be toying with you. Like playing a game. Because they aren't physically staling anything of value. They are doing silly things like taking a dump in the toilet & taking your coat which they know you would look for when it came to wanting to wear it again. Neighbours - high chance yes defo.
Thinking of you and this crazy situation!

RedWineAllMine · 06/04/2018 02:23

stealing not staling **

CircleSquareCircleSquare · 06/04/2018 03:00

Yep bolt on the loft hatch for sure and maybe a line of talc across the baby change unit where they would come down from the loft?

RebootYourEngine · 06/04/2018 04:17

This would creep me out but there could be a perfectly good reason for each

Poo -toilet not working
Monitor noises - interference
Wifi - mine goes through stages of working fine & then being slow
Loft hatch - wind

ememem84 · 06/04/2018 07:24

Hope you’re ok op

Wateroffaduck · 06/04/2018 07:28

I used to work with a woman years ago who told me a story about loft hatches. She lived in a terrace with straight through lofts meaning you could walk from one house to the end of the terrace via the loft. One house at the end has students in and they drunkenly used to run from one end to the other.

One night her neighbour was in bed, heard all the commotion then a foot appeared through his ceiling belonging to a student. The next week he had both sides of the loft bricked up to put a stop to that.

There have been several cases of people being robbed by their neighbours by using the loft, either by a straight through loft or creating a hole in the dividing brick work.

I reckon it is a neighbour, using your WiFi and helping themselves to your clothes thinking you won’t notice.

I always put locks on my loft hatch.

sugarplum18 · 06/04/2018 07:31

why not put a lock on the loft hatch. if they cant get out using your hatch they can use a neighbours.you could also put a chain onyour front door.
just an idea

WellThisIsShit · 06/04/2018 07:42

Glad you got a good nights sleep at your mums. Sort it out in daylight!

Rubies12345 · 06/04/2018 07:49

What was the end of the story with the other lady and the pee in her toilet? Did it turn out to be squatters in the loft?

ememem84 · 06/04/2018 08:00

I’ve just read the dear David thing on Twitter. I can’t help but think it’s fake. It’s a good one of it is. And bloody scary if not!

N2986 · 06/04/2018 08:02

Omg this has me totally creeped out. I'm a wuss in daylight too Blush

dingdongdigeridoo · 06/04/2018 08:04

Do you have a carbon monoxide detector?

Years ago, I read a really weird thread where spooky things were happening in someone’s house. Turned out, they had a gas leak and it was making them hallucinate. Bit of a long shot but always worth a check.

PancakeBum · 06/04/2018 08:06

Not being funny but genuinely don't understand why you didn't call the police. They would have checked up there for you.

PancakeBum · 06/04/2018 08:09

If I really thought someone was climbing into my home through my loft there's no way in hell I'd just think "cheeky fucker", daytime or not.

Rubies12345 · 06/04/2018 08:13

She did call the police pancake it's in the opening post.

PancakeBum · 06/04/2018 08:14

Yes I know that but I mean at nighttime when she heard someone talking!!!

2rebecca · 06/04/2018 08:15

It could all be innocent. I would have changed the password. Ours isn't written on the router anyway so write it on your phone. Blocking the loft up sounds good for your peace of mind

sleep5 · 06/04/2018 08:20

Change the Wi-fi password and restart the router & keep the hatch locked! There's been other posts on mumsnet about the desperation of neighbours to get free wifi, so it doesn't surprise me.

Fitzsimmons · 06/04/2018 08:20

@Thattwatoverthere this will sound strange but it's worth getting a carbon monoxide alarm to check levels in your house.

Low level poisoning can lead to hallucinations, memory loss and strange behaviour. There was a case on Reddit with someone who had something similar going on in there house and it turned out they were suffering from CO2 poisoning.

Sarkyharky · 06/04/2018 08:23

I am sure this is innocent.

I would have searched the house myself tbh.

blueskypink · 06/04/2018 08:23

*This would creep me out but there could be a perfectly good reason for each

Poo -toilet not working
Monitor noises - interference
Wifi - mine goes through stages of working fine & then being slow
Loft hatch - wind*

^^ This.

Gwenhwyfar · 06/04/2018 08:29

Completely agree with Reebot and Bluesky above.
I don't think there's an intruder at all.

Haisuli · 06/04/2018 08:43

Years ago I heard noises in the cupboard under the stairs, but couldn't see anything there when I looked. When I got up the next morning there was a poo in the bath! My flatmate denied any knowledge as did I. He was in all that next day and saw and heard nothing. That night I was home alone and heard an awful noise like howling downstairs. It was terrifying. I steeled myself and went down and it was a young black cat trying to get out of the window. I opened the door and it flew out. Muat have been hiding in our house scared for a couple of days. When I saw your poo message I thought of the cat. Don't know what a cat would be doing with your wifi though...