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?

Turn it on *

pm me with the outcome. This thread is so getting nowhere

@Monty27 - For better entertainment try netflix lol
What sort of an outcome do you have in mind? Burglary, murder, dramatic arrest? The creep brought back here by the police so we can finally meet?

Thanks @Soph1993 Have a good day

Ohhhh am chuffed to bits So excited for you! Its so heartwarming that something amazing will hopefully come out of such a horrendous experience! You sound like a great person and clearly have the right environment for another dog so hopefully a new addition to family soon This big ole bear of mine is sprawled out across the lounge rug here. At night he sprawls across our bedroom door as soon as we're in bed and does a few nightly patrols of the bottom of the house. So intelligent!
Aww am delighted for you! Isn't it strange how good things really do happen out of something bad! Can't wait to hear how it goes

I Keep checking back to see if you've caught him in a home made bear trap yet?
Is reading the OP now optional before dishing out sage advice?

Keep checking back too to see if you've had any word from police or any developments OP? I honestly cannot believe some of the responses you've had here(!)

I live rurally too, big dark field at the back of us, it can be scary when husband goes away, got two young DC. Had a few instances of finding strangers where they shouldn't be (and have no reason to be, we are quite a way from main road/other houses) and it is of course concerning. Anyone who says I'm need to man up and think otherwise is quite frankly barmy.

Got two dogs which makes me feel better at night (until they do their "there's someone there" bark then I wet myself).

Anyway.. OP you are not crazy, you do not need to man up, you are being perfectly reasonable... why has Mumsnet become so nasty lately? Trolls in lockdown with nowhere else to go?

People seem to have forgotten #bekind very quickly.

Anyway I'm rambling. Hope you're ok x

I would say quite possibly scoping out for burglary but the dog scared them off and will continue to do so.

What do people steal? Pretty much anything not nailed down. Garden tools, cars, farm machinery. They may have parked up a van some distance away and walked over to see what you had and whether it was worth raiding your property.

However, thieves are essentially lazy and risk averse. They wont risk a dog bite just to get your goods. They will go somewhere easier. Two dogs will be even more effective as thieves cant hope to shut them away.

We have an allotment on a field. Every few months the field gets broken into at night (it is fenced and gate padlocked). The thieves arrive in a van and will go through the field breaking open sheds, often they will take the barrows people have lying about to transport the 'swag'. They will go from plot to plot picking up tools, discarding other tools when they find something better. They even bagged up some hens once. Obviously got them to the van then abandoned them.

Nothing of great value gets stolen but stolen tools will raise a few pounds and to the thief its free money.

Been following this thread and am very excited by the new turn of events. Did you see Edward and Bear on the GSD page? 💕

I had something similar happen to me. Someone in the night came in through our back door ( unlocked) and stole our cheap Aldi slow cooker but left my handbag. In fact they didn’t even steal the slow cooker as we found it buried in our hedge. We called the police in the morning and they took a copy of a foot print. It freaked us out for months. It made no sense at all.

Horrible thing to happen, amazed at the volume of idiots who can’t understand rural living ie no passers by 🙄
Best part is hopefully you rescue a lovely GSD, I like the boy that’s been waiting 4 years or the pair or Sergei!!!

@Bettysnow - another dog : [bear[[flower] Silver linings and all that

OP just to say sorry this happened and glad you’re in better spirits. I read the whole thread after waking in the small hours. You write so well, with heart and humour, and you sound lovely. It’s ended up being funny and warm thread despite the dodgy circumstances.

I think the biggest mystery op is when do you sleep?!!!!

🤣

Well this is odd. I also found a phone in my garden. The one I found was inside my DCs clam shell sandpit that had been closed all winter. 6 foot fence all the way around and surrounded by other gardens.

I had put it in a drawer and planned on going around asking the neighbours if they’d lost one, but the lockdown happened and I forgot about it until I saw this thread.

DH wants to take it to the police. It’s quite a new iPhone, but won’t switch on as it’s damaged. I feel uneasy about it. Someone’s been in my garden and out it there.

@scarredbunny

Nothing like having your life pulled apart is there 🤣MN isn't ALL like this, no - but AIBU has generally turns into a bitch fest - unfortunately.

I have read the entire thread, but I somehow missed why you're getting another dog -when you have one & it barked. Are you planning on it being an outside dog?

Dogs are a good thing (we will need photos!). Just being nosey 😊

Hi OP- the prison drone theory - I doubt they have such a range but it might be likely that smugglers practice a drop (weight and manoeuvrability) beforehand. As I said, if someone has dropped it in suspicious circumstances then they are unlikely to be back. The police will be interested in it as it could hold sources of intel (it’s incredible what people put on their phones and think “nobody will ever see..” ).

A dog is a great deterrent. Especially a big dog. We have three rescues. As people said, that’s a lovely end to the story.

Keep us posted if the police come up with an answer!

Hope you can get some sleep op.
To those people who are getting offended should look at the times op is posting the replies - she has not slept properly in days - give her a break!
Op I definitely understand why you would be concerned about this whole incident.

Good luck with your application for a new dog!

We used to have wind chimes just inside our back & front door, I used to quite enjoy the reaction as visitors were almost bought to their knees by the sound of them as I opened the door. The problem was they did the same to us as we often forgot about them, so I removed them to save our nerves.

I feel that some people really don’t understand how remote some properties can be.

I grew up rurally but we were in a very small village with neighbours.
One of my friends lived in a very remote house. His house was up a 1/2 mile long drive from a main road. His family owned all the land around it. There were no foot paths, roads within about 5 miles except the main one, no other houses for a couple of miles.
No one would be anywhere near that house unless they were going to the house.

I live in a little estate but at the very top so no properties backing onto mine. If I found a phone in my garden I'd be scared too, so those of you judging "what are you so scared of" need to give your heads a wobble.
OP I hope the mystery is solved, but in the mean time make sure to check all your locks at night and, if it makes you feel better, get some cheap cctv xxx

Dog news exciting ! I did a little google on the huge guarding breed they also have, Caucasian Shepherd dogs, (as we are house hunting more remotely) but they sound very difficult to own, and possibly extremely dangerous. I will stick to terriers I think !
OP this was very likely to be a one off reccy, as your dog came out, I think it unlikely that the same person will return. They were probably checking to see if the house was unoccupied.

“ I've put in place a nifty little trick (thank you John Le Carré) that will let us know if someone has come round again or not.”

I’m going to have to try and figure this out.

Glad you’re feeling better OP.

Please tell - which John Le Carre book is the trick in? I have been trying to remember - and failing. (Burglars don't read - they leave shelves of books behind.)

right..now i am mad!!!

who put that GSD link up??....I want another pupper so much but annoyingly am still not over my last two boys who died at 9 and 7 in the same year and COMPLETELY devastated me, so weeping and cooing over basically all of them and pondering....

that white one is gorgeous!

I really miss having a dogface about, and having to remember to lock doors and all that. 2x 50kgGSD is a fair intruder deterrant, esp as one was super fluffy and looked twice that size.

very jealous that you might have a new dog to coo at.

“ Burglars don't read - they leave shelves of books behind.)”

When I was in my 20s, a mate had her houseshare broken into.

They took all the CDs including dance, trance, 80s - but left the Duran Duran.