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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

To Feel A Bit Uneasy

20 replies

Hearwego · 01/08/2020 00:32

We live in a cul de sac. Perfectly nice and reasonable road, we live in the far corner of it. It’s detached, we have woods at the back and a public footpath that runs along our right hand fence, all the way down. The footpath goes into the woods that leads into another housing estate. The entrance to the footpath doesn’t actually begin by our house it starts a bit further up. Bit hard to explain without drawing a map ( too late for that!)
Anyway about half an hour ago, I was in bed and DP was downstairs watching tv. I could hear a banging noise as if someone was trying to kick something but couldn’t make out where from. DP came up to see if he could see anything from our bedroom window, the front bedroom. Then it sounds like someone is trying to kick our fence by the alleyway , so DP goes rushing down there, our patio doors and kitchen side doors all open, as it’s hot. Kitchen side door leads out onto our garden and the side fence, DP says he hears a man shouting Fuck Fuck but proceeds to walk down the footpath. DP locks all our doors and goes to the alleyway to check what happened or if anyone was still there ( despite me telling him to wait until morning). DP returns 5 mins later, no sign of anyone but someone has broken our top trellis off. The alleyway is pitch black with no lights.We have trellis running down the whole of the fence, about 10 foot of it has been deliberately broken off by some twat it appears.
Nothing too bad, DP will fix tomorrow.
Anyway DP thinks it was just some random drunk, I’m inclined to agree but feel a bit uneasy. I’ve got DD asleep in her bed but now shut all the windows in the house apart from our bedroom window.
I’m a bit scared that same person might come back and try and break in.
No point really phoning police now as it’s over with, but am on edge a bit.
We’ve lived here three years, never had any previous problems with the footpath, apart from a few loud or drunk people walking down it.
Any advice about how to maybe settle down for the night? DP in bed now too.

OP posts:
Foodiefoodieyemek · 01/08/2020 00:34

İ agree with your do. But lock everything. İf they were going to break in to steal they wouldn't be making all that racket. İt's Friday night and late. Drunk is the first thing i thought

PulyaSochsup · 01/08/2020 00:37

Hi, I think it would be best to ring 101 and log it, just in case. At least then you have done something about the situation and hopefully you can rest and deal with the rest of it tomorrow. Hope you can get some rest.

Hearwego · 01/08/2020 00:43

Thanks, I think I’ll rest on the 111 call for now, purely as it’s so late and hopefully a one off, but will defo do that if it happens again. Can hear dogs barking and motorbikes revving on the main road, seems to be all happening tonight !

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famousforwrongreason · 01/08/2020 01:01

It's criminal damage. It's not much but might link with a spate of local incidents. You can report online on your local force Web page

Aquamarine1029 · 01/08/2020 01:18

I would be putting motion activated flood lights up. They are a very good deterrent, and I have them in several places on my property. I would also be installing cctv.

GameChange123 · 01/08/2020 07:49

Your trellis did its job! It's a bugger for intruder / trespassers as it makes the fence higher, harder & noisier to climb over because it breaks! Defo log with 101 it might be a drunk person but what if they had got into your garden/ house? Fix or replace the trellis and plant something spiky to grow up it. Our back garden trellis scuppered an escaping ne'erdowell from getting away from a burglary further down the street and he got shredded by the thorny plants.

Bluntness100 · 01/08/2020 07:51

It was probably some drunk kid op.

Hearwego · 01/08/2020 08:07

Thanks for your replies. The part that was broken , we can’t plant anything there because it’s concrete, with shingle, bit hard to explain but it’s quite a long garden, the rest of it is grass going down the alleyway, we have planted trees along there and with a plant that grows over the trellis. It’s not spikey, just gives a bit of privacy and looks nice.
DP says he heard shouting, like two people having an argument with each other, sounds like one of them decided to take it out on our trellis 😖
We could put those spike things along the fence, on the inside so would only get someone if they put their hands on them.
Or perhaps tar or anti vandal paint on the trellis, again in the inside so they would get paint on them if they put their hands over.

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Hearwego · 01/08/2020 10:13

101 online report done. DP tried to fix trellis but he’s not really a DIY guru and has hardly any tools. Needs a nail gun really, hoping a one off. Neighbour heard a bit of commotion too, sounds like two twats having a barney.

The footpath doesn’t get that busy really so didn’t think of it as too much of an issue when we got the house.

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Elieza · 01/08/2020 10:48

Perhaps one of the twats thought he’d take a short cut through a garden to escape the other twat. Or wanted the wood to hit the other twat with.
Who knows. I bloody hate drunk men. Pricks.

Security light would be good. You don’t need a nail gun, a regular drill to drill a pilot hole with and some screws from screwfix (half the price of b&q) should do the trick. If you don’t have a drill but one next time you can afford it as they are so handy to have.

Hearwego · 01/08/2020 11:19

Perhaps one of the twats thought he’d take a short cut through a garden to escape the other twat. Or wanted the wood to hit the other twat with.
Who knows. I bloody hate drunk men. Pricks.**

That’s a good point. He was shouting at someone, so maybe he ripped off my trellis panel to use as a weapon. DP retrieved the top of the panel, a 6ft piece of wood. It was thrown on the floor in the footpath.
Regarding flood lights, we have them just they haven’t worked for a while, DP just tried to see if he could change the bulbs but the screw is rusted. Going to order a couple of new ones and get my dad to fit them for us. DP doesn’t really do wiring or anything involving electrical leads.!

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Hearwego · 02/08/2020 19:58

So where the trellis was damaged, on our side of the fence we have a wall about 4 foot high with shingle. We did this when we moved in because it was just horrible weeds here before so we didn’t want any maintenance.
However we’d like to put a natural screen there , I’ve heard pyracantha is a thorny shrub. We know nothing about gardening.

What plant/ shrub can we get that is prickly and about 6 ft x 6ft? Don’t really want to buy anything that takes years to grow, we’d obviously pay more for an established plant.

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Hearwego · 02/08/2020 20:00

Sorry it’s a wall about foot high from the ground that was a flower bed. We just put membrane down with shingle on top but would like something fast growing to get just over fence height, 2 metres.

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HoneysuckIejasmine · 02/08/2020 20:02

Hawthorn is an absolute bastard.

Hearwego · 02/08/2020 21:03

Does hawthorn grow quickly and get to a decent height?

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Bargebill19 · 02/08/2020 21:14

Hawthorne grows whilst you turn your back to make a brew! Bugger to keep trimmed. Thorny wild roses mixed in with it will make it look nice and rose thorns are like fish hooks.
It’s what our hedge consists of.
I have planted everlasting sweet peas amongst it just for looks.

HoneysuckIejasmine · 02/08/2020 21:25

Based on how often I have to trim the bastard stuff around the school playground, yes! Removed a 2m high sapling of it the other day that I'd swear wasn't there last time I looked. Vicious as you don't immediately realise it's thorny if you don't recognise it.

Hearwego · 02/08/2020 21:58

Crataegus Prunifolia - Hawthorn Tree....is this the one? I’ve seen it online for £45 but it’s already 1.5-1.8 metres.
I’m looking for something large and quick growing so if any bastard puts his hands over my fence again he’ll regret it.

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julybaby32 · 02/08/2020 22:41

Yes Cratageus is the stuff. Also non-toxic, I understand, which is a consideration with your DD. I second the addition of some wild roses for looks. Hawthorn has attractive white flowers in May and red berries in autumn. It looses it's leave in winter and grows lovely fresh green ones every spring, earlyish. It certainly won't need the trellis to climb on, so if it's trick to fix that is less off and issue. Generally good for wildlife. Very prickly.

Hearwego · 03/08/2020 09:58

Thanks I’ll look out for some and get DP to plant it !

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