Found a phone in my garden - isolated property - shit scared

[ScarredBunny]

Name changed for this - Sorry if this seem trivial, I know people are dealing with far bigger things at the moment.

I found a phone lying on the ground, about 5 yards from my house.

We live in an isolated property about a mile away from the first road. We have not have any visitors , maintenance people for many weeks (obviously). Delivery drivers, yes, but they would not have any reason to go to this part of the garden/couldn't access it during daytime without us seeing something.
At first I assumed it belonged to one of us, but no!
Phoned the police, have a ref./case number, etc. but they're busy and will get back to us when they can.
The police said to take the phone indoors and wait for their call/visit.

I am worried that the next visit is going to be from whomever the phone belongs to.
The phone is dead as a dodo but I assume it still can be found?

What should do?

Just thought I'd hop in with my experience - We had multiple items in the garden some of which were all clearly stolen property, a small handbag with passports in, a bag with some jewellery and other random stuff, dog toys, an umbrella (folded), a scarf.

Urban location, but (crucially) no access to our garden as it is surrounded by other gardens!

Really freaked out - police came, and were interested but like us, they couldn't see why the stuff was there. Thought someone was using the garden as a hiding place at night after burglaries...

We then beefed up security, like people are suggesting to you we put in cameras, and a garden alarm, that would only trigger if a person was walking about...prickly bushes, lots of stuff.

Anyway to cut a long long story short a few more items appeared - 3 snooker balls, another handbag, and more dog toys. The CCTV revealed.....foxes...every time.

Clearly they were "stealing" from a hidden stash of stolen goods, and also from peoples gardens.

I haven't read all the thread, but I could have written your OP last summer. Found a phone on the front lawn, someone had either fallen over or tried to climb the waist high wire fence around our garden, damaging it. There's no reason for anyone to have been down our track. Couldn't charge the phone, it was quite wet from the dew. Took it to the police station and explained where we'd found it. They weren't concerned. Nothing has happened since then though!! (It was a v nice iPhone so I imagine someone was cross to have lost it, and we have a v barky dog who didn't bark at all!!)

I'd charge it though its probably got a pin.
Have you security cameras I'd invest.

@Ticking. It's really common behaviour in Foxes. Especially between April and July when the cubs start coming out and are growing up.

I don’t think fox. Foxes love to pick up things like shoes, they chew the leather. They will pick up toys etc. Basically anything a dog might play with, a fox will play with too. Not an iphone.
As you are near a bridleway, I think someone has walked, glimpsed your house, and had a poke round. Google earth is a burglar’s dream. So many hitherto unknown houses suddenly very visible.
I live in a rural village. Friend lives on a farm outside the village, not quite as remote as you OP, but not near any other houses. They have had people appear, checking it out. Usually looking for things like generators that are easy to re-sell apparently. Also oil gets stolen. Sometimes something is an empty second home, so easy to break into now. I imagine this was what happened, someone scouting to see if there is anything easy to pinch. Your dog scared them off, and they dropped the iphone.
Sadly, thanks to bloody google, we are all visible, however remotely we live. And more people are exploring bridleways at the moment. Burglars must be having to move farther afield as so many houses are occupied around the clock at the moment.

OP hope you’re okay

I forgot about Google Earth. Bastards. The dream of living remotely....why can’t these people leave anything alone?

OP, you mentioned being on / near a pheasant estate. Could it possibly have been poachers?

I'd speak to the other house near-by too. Perhaps they've been broken in to and the burglar ditched the phone shortly afterwards as they didn't want to be traced.

It's been dry weather lately (near me at least) could it have been left earlier than you realised? Maybe on the driveway by a delivery man a week or so ago, then moved into the garden by curious wildlife.

I hope it's something innocent OP, but totally understand your concern.

Ok, sorry @AvalancheKit.

I've seen quite a lot of oblique troll-hunting over the years that was similar in tone. Apologies.

@InFiveMins there are horses 2 fields away.

@bobbiester There are suggestions online that a phone cell tracking chip is independent from the actual phone's battery - not sure how it would be accessible to randoms like us though.
Some posters said you can see the last location of a phone for 24 hours after the battery died.

@Traviis I know nothing about pig rustling

@Namechangex10000 a motorbike we couldn't miss, I think.

@limpbizkit - Yes I agree.
About the second thing, far fetched, but since yesterday morning I am feeling a little paranoid. I suppose some people go onto Mumsnet to find out about stuff like that. What would they mean to achieve on this thread though? Find out about the many riches that they couldn't see through the windows?

I'm also rural, we back on to fields and I'd never seen anyone out there before (I don't even close the curtains at the back of the house, even when getting dressed). In the last month between us we've seen about a dozen people walking around the back of the house, a couple have even tried the (padlocked) gate into our back garden, tbf there is a picnic table near the gate which probably looks quite inviting after a trek. The fields behind us are private but I think people are just walking anywhere at the moment, and the more remote the better. I hope that's all it is op, but you're right to up your security just in case.

Do you know what, I just went to the kitchen and I heard a rustling behind the utility room door. I didn't think, I got a knife out and yelled ' Right I'm coming for you I'm f,,,, coming for you!' kicking the door open,... and saw my poor dog! The look of worry on his face!
This is mad it's 11am for goodness' sake, is it how it's going to be now? / .
now I think.

Have you asked the Postman or Postwoman if they have lost their phone? I'm sure they would be very grateful to have it back!

I was about to suggest someone checking out the peasants, and having a look over your place too.

I have always lived rurally, and even as a child I remember my family finding stuff that burgalars had stashed on our family farm. Over the years we lost oil, machinery, tack, sheep, puppies, and even tiles and fence posts.

They also had a good go at taking our ponies, but that stopped once we got the world scariest goat!

That would be pheasants, not the poor people in smocks!

We once woke up to find a massive and quite expensive torch tucked into the flower bed down our (fairly long) driveway. There was a patch of flattened plants around it which looked like someone had been hiding there. It did freak me out for a while, just sort of unnerved me. Nothing else came of it and the upshot of it is we now own a rather excellent torch which is brilliant for camping

We did mention it to the police in case someone was missing the torch due to a burglary. We didn’t here anything back though so who knows what happened 🤷‍♀️

I hope it’s something and nothing OP, but I do get why it would freak you out.

I'd be worried too OP. I've often thought I'd like to live in the countryside but I couldn't live completely isolated! I'd definitely have CCTC and as many security measures as I could shake a stick at!
Hope it turns out to be nothing.

I was about to suggest someone checking out the peasants, and having a look over your place too

Yes, no doubt the peasants are revolting!

ScarredBunny
That terrified dog barked the night the phone was left in your garden.
He's a good 'un.

Am I the only one that thought Avalanche was just being amusing, loved the disappeared into the internet twist and the thought of sending hedgehogs sure they really didn’t want to know the actual address. People can take things too seriously sometimes 😁

Am I the only one that thought Avalanche was just being amusing

I think so, on account that she wasn't funny.

You were so scared that you found a 'phone outside that you called the Police and kept it wrapped in foil in an oven..but a few minutes ago thought someone might actually be at your door so grabbed a knife shouting 'i'm fucking coming for you' and kicked the door open?

Can you put it in rice and dry it out, maybe try again after a couple of days to turn it on/charge it? Or is it too scary to think of having it actually inside your home?
In ordinary circumstances I'd drop it to the nearest police station. That's arguably an essential journey for you right now, for security reasons.
Keep trying to get through to the police. It could be something or nothing. But better to err on the side of caution.
I appreciate your concerns. Pretty sure I'd be feeling the way you do.

@ticking nothing seems to be beyond them then.

@sunnyday1976 irrationally strangely soothing reading about your similar experience. It must happen more than we think or are aware of (trespassing) and sometime a phone gets left behind.

@SirVixofVixHall - I agree 100% with everything you say.

@LilacTree1 @TeaAndBiscuits666 google hearth is like a catalogue + instruction manual for predators.
It could have been lying around for some time, yes, this would explain battery drained and it been damaged by too many nights out - aren't we all - and moved by an animal, Sometimes wether you see something or not depends on how the light hits it how the light hits it, especially with peripheral vision I would think.
I only noticed it on my 3rd trip passed it.

@EthelMayFergus I relate totally, a lot more people around.

@HennyPenny RTFT

asking the Postie about a phone is a good idea...they speak to loads of folks, see everything and are a great source of local knowledge!

I had a chat with mine a couple of months ago...had joked about it being such a bad area they had to come out in pairs now ....Chatty Postie had been dropped off and was delivering to our little nook of houses and Other Postie had driven down the lane to deliver to the next lot...,anyway I found out all about the house fire that had been in the next village, more than I ever would have through usual sources...Other Postie had got stuck up the road from the fire the day before and could not get out so Chatty Postie had doubled up so they got the backlog sorted.

They would surely know if anyone else had been similarly targeted.