To be worried about my sister and the face at the window.

[WhataMissMap]

My sister lives in a large house at the top of a longish drive in a very quiet residential area.

She was sitting watching TV with her curtains open, this evening. She often does this as she is not overlooked by neighbours.

She happened to glance up to see a man staring at her through the window. She jumped up and he ran away.

She then saw two men running away down her road. She switched the lights off and watched from a bedroom window. The two men appeared again and stealthily walked back up her road keeping close to the hedges and started to approach her house. They must have caught sight of her in the window and they ran away.

She is really frightened, I live a few hundred miles away and obviously can’t get to her tonight. I wonder was it an attempted burglary or a peeping Tom or a silly prank. I wonder how seriously we should treat this.
She is alone with her teenage son. It’s a very low crime area.

Any thoughts would be welcome.

Get her to get a security firm around first thing in the morning and install CCTV if she hasn't got it already. So scary!

For your sister op. How awful. Hope she feels better soon and with all the security measures gets a good sleep.

@SeamstressfromTreacleMineRoad
The security light, hope it works!

www.wilko.com/en-uk/wilko-security-timer/p/0454625

Umm .. they were "casing the joint" as they used to say to see what they could nick they may have cleared off somewhere else now but as good as CCTV and tech is the best bet is decent door and window locks and the like, physcial security.

Have lights that are activated as the crims dont like the light they don't like to be seen. Also make sure its very difficlt get into your back garden too solid locked doors at the side of the house we have one here around 9 foot tall with nasty spikes theron which make it very difficult to climb.

As to guns and the like forget it you'd need a gun licence and would you really use it?. Let alone the mess i'd make too;!

If you are broken into see of there is an easy way to barricade your bedroom door as much noise as you can make and keep a charged mobile with you. If you do have an alarm fiutted then have a panic button to hand to set it off the more noise the merrier.

Dogs do have there uses, noisey yappy ones are fine as is gravel outside it is very difficlt to walk over and be quiet.

Other than that sleep soundly:)

ClarabellaCTL I love the sound of your house. That’s what my dream is like!

OP I’m glad that your ds has been kind enough to consider her neighbours especially the elderly.

I would be very concerned. Burglars wouldn’t want to raise an alarm and wouldn’t want to be seen. They’d want to be in and out undetected. I live in the middle of nowhere and thankfully no longer on my own. People looking for kit or stuff are covert.

Are you sane? Why would you turn to MN for this?
I chopped my arm when cutting down a tree, I’m bleeding profusely. Should I call an ambulance? Posting for traffic.

We live in a nice area, very low time stats and I cannot believe how many burglaries have happened recently. Sign of the times and I think it’s going to get worse before it gets better.

@fairenuff, unless you had other random tools in the bedroom too as you had been doing 'DIY' and just happened to have it close at hand in the middle of the night. I personally have a baseball bat, and if questioned i would highlight the fact i have 2 young boys who regualrly leave their stuff all over the house

@norfolkenchancemate they sound brilliant thank you

The Police tell you to always close your curtains at night... I am not sure this would have done any good.

I have been stalked three times, absolutely bloody ridiculous.

One came to my place of work so I called the Police and they warned him. I actually saw him the other day, he is very tall and completely mad. Also he did it before to someone else
Always call the Police if you are in danger.That is so creepy, please tell us if your sister is ok soon.

@NicAndNick Thanks very much - I shall pop to Wilko's as soon as the snow clears...

We had this once except that they got the fright of their lives when my mother did exactly what they asked and opened the back door. Then proceeded to chase them down the alley with the bread knife, shouting after them to come back here and "fucking rob her like the hard man, you think you are." The police sent a car but apparently they didn't seem to still be in the area. Can't think why.

I never shut my curtains because I wouldn’t see if someone was outside? Why do they say to shut the curtains?

thesnapandfartisinfallible Could picture my old gran doing thatt she was as hard as nails, well possibly hader nothiung scared of fazed her absolutly nothing.

Eeven throgt world war to she said that if the germans had invaded she'd be the one to repel them;!

We had privacy film installed on our windows but were told they don't work at night if the lights are on in the house (anyone outside will be able to see in), so had blinds installed as well.

A Nest doorbell camera can be set to capture any motion, light or sound near the door.

I think a quiet residential neighbourhood with lots of elderly is probably tempting for opportunists.

On the long term side, what about defensive planting around the house?

thecrimepreventionwebsite.com/garden-boundaries-fences-and-defensive-plants/618/defensive-plants-shrubs-and-trees-shrub-fences/

It happens. Thieves are brazen. They were looking in as they were looking at what is easy to grab of value. they were banking on the light inside stopping her seeing into the darkness outside. I can pretty much guarantee they won't be back. Happened to my mum a few years ago. Man at kitchen window in her back garden. Never came back.

But yes, lights, good locks, CCTV. Basic common sense.

I really recommend Blink cameras. Relatively cheap from Amazon and the app is excellent. And you get to see some surprising stuff when you’re out!

Ironically DH and I were just discussing how we never look at the notices when we’re in the house because we presume it’s our dogs or raccoons, etc. It hadn’t occurred to either of us it could be people checking out the house!

After the real life crime show I watched last night.. I would be concerned.

We have a ring doorbell and foscam cameras on each corner of the house so I can see every part from my phone . Also cameras inside . They are a deterrent and not overly expensive for peace of mind . Much better than a burgled alarm that everyone ignores !!! .. at least you would have a video of them too if they came back .

How scary for your sister. My last house was one of the last going out of the village with fields opposite and long drives so no neighbours could see the front of our house and VV.

We had a ring doorbell fitted and it picked up prowlers trying the door. The footage was sent to the police and tied in with a burglary further down the road.

CCTV doorbells and internal cameras looking out through windows and the like are a quick way of upping security quickly and cheaply.

When I moved into my current place I had all the smooth and nicely laid block paving ripped out (shame because it must have cost the previous owner quite a bit) and had nice rough and crunchy gravel put down in its place including 3 foot border of the stuff all round the perimeter of the house.

Makes it a tad difficult for anyone who should not be there to approach silently.

Phone the Police

Set up Security Cameras

Have very Bright Security Lights

The way you describe your sister's house: big, up a long drive, quiet area all this = attractive to burglars.

The police will advise you on best precautions. Good lighting for a start.

Good luck.

One cute fox asked what my DS was watching on TV. She says «peaky blinders» season 2 - perhaps you’re correct and he’s a fan and it attracted him. I do hope he wasn’t a copy cat Peaky Blinder!

@Gone4Good "We're extremely rural to say the least. I'm not often alone but when I am I keep my S&W .38 handy.

It's amazing how brave you feel when your armed."

Sounds too much like the yanks and we know what problems they have with school shootings etc. Having a firearm doesn't solve anything it causes more problems. Besides what happens if you have a gun, and they have a gun, and they open fire first? Fat lot of good your gun will do you then. No, thank goodness the UK and my country Australia aren't interested in that lunacy.