Weird neighbour behaviour what do I do

[Hoorayforsunshine]

Posting for a friend who has shared vids from her security camera.

While they are away from their home (permitted travel), NDN has:

— jumped over the garden fence
—gone to the house to stare inside
—poked around items on the patio
—- spend a couple mins overall in the garden before leaving.

To me it looks like he was looking for a spare key/ way to get in while they were away. Don’t think he realised that they have a security camera which recorded all the above. Apparently he has asked for a key before.

Yes - there is no innocent explanation here.

No - there is an innocent explanation.

What on earth should they do? My suggestion was to have a word on their return so they can gauge his response but my friend said that this guy has always seemed creepy.

Keep recording! And buy CCTV signs off eBay (only a couple of quid). We have a couple in the windows and only have an indoor camera pointing towards the back door but I see them as a deterrent in themselves. If they pop up and the NDN sees them he will realise he's been busted.

It depends on circumstances. Living alone I don't challenge anyone as that can lead to escalation and if they know you are alone might try intimidation. I don't live in fear but I do keep what I know to myself so wouldn't mention the camera. They could easily disable it or cover the lens.

He was being nosey. Wanted a good look what next door was like inside whilst neighbours away. People are so quick to judge bad intentions.

Do they have a cat? Could it have not come home?

If my neighbour was away and that happened to me, I might be tempted to check their garden and peep inside to check it hadn't been curious and got shut in.

That's the only reason I can think of that's innocent.
What is the relationship with the neighbours like usually?

I'd be completely upfront about the camera and the video and ask him if his problem is now sorted. I'd also say it was lucky because an old mate of yours also has remote access to the camera and would not have recognised him which would have ended up with the police being called. Then i would save the video carefully.

A few years ago I had a new next door tenant that stood on a chair to look into my house while I was sitting on the patio! I was so amazed that I said nothing. He didn't work and neither did his partner. Maybe he was wondering if I had something worth nicking. All very weird behaviour in that case and that of OP.

I would put a fake key out that looked like it would fit the door covered by the camera. Speak loudly to each other on the garden to say that you have put a key out there. Then record the footage of him looking for the key/trying the door (if he does of course) and then ask him why he has visited the garden and attempted to enter their property.
I wouldn’t go and query it with him without more than one recording as he will just say he hear a noise or was worried about burglars or similar.

@Myfriendsays To my mind that is a bad intention. You have no right to trespass and nose in people’s private homes.

@mellongoose

I would innocently ask the neighbour what they were looking for in the garden. If they deny it mention the camera. Stare them out until they crack!

This is the best response IMO

Challenge him then if he doesn't provide a good enough reason tell the rest of the neighbours. He will soon move. Creepy bastard!

We're having outside security cameras installed on Monday after a trespassing incident with some minor damage to our car. They're much simpler to install and less expensive than they used to be (we're putting in a Ring camera and doorbell). I wish we had done it earlier.

Very odd behaviour and if he tries the ‘I heard a strange noise’ excuse, then ask him why he didn't mention it to you on your return. I would have your security checked over ie locks, doors and keys. I would have internal and external cameras fitted and maybe a visit from the crime prevention officer, just to make it as plain as day, that you are proactive. Trust your gut, a creep is a creep.

I’m definitely in the camp of leaving a key that doesn’t fit and tell him they’re off for the weekend the see what happens next time, record then having a serious word, or just sending the police round if he tried to enter. This would totally freak me out!

Post the video on any neighbourhood groups.

checking in as my neighbour's getting increasingly weird too.

Report it to the local council for antisocial behaviour not sure 101 can do anything yet but worth trying to log it with the non emergency number aswelly

(like looking in the medicine cabinet when you go to the loo in a friend's house)

Do people actually do this because I certainly don't 😳😬

I would be tempted to lie on wait at an upstairs window with a bucket of water. That will teach the nosey fuck a lesson.

I'd casually mention that I was having security cameras put in to act as a future deterrent and leave it as that, but be cautious about him!!

I'd just ask him if he has seen anyone around because another neighbour mentioned someone had heard someone rummaging around your garden etc. He may fess up with a legit reason. He may say hes seen nothing, then you can continue to watch without letting on you have the cctv, and take action of calling Bobby's round for someone still at the scene trying to break in at the next instance.

I wouldn't tell him he's been caught on camera.
He'll just lie...

DONT WAIT!!!!! Non emergency police for advice, then a quiet word with the neighbour to let him know he was seen and the next time there would be a call to the police.

I used to have a neighbour like this OP. We moved less than a year after his 'weird behaviour' started showing.

He was so 'normal' to outsiders. We lived on a nice estate, he had a lovely home and nice car, good job etc - but about a year after moving in we noticed strange things he was doing.

He would exercise naked in his garden (in the middle of the night). Or have sex out there.

Then he started climbing over our fence, looking in our bins, putting rubbish in our bins, collect up and throw his dog poo and other random bits of rubbish into our garden, started booting the fences to purposely cause damage etc. He once chucked his kids trampoline over the other neighbour's fence deliberately. Really weird, bizarre behaviour.

It ended up really freaking me out and I was unsettled, couldn't sleep properly.

We moved.

Have they actually got back yet? And does next door neighbour have contact numbers for them?
Personally I would wait and see when they get home. Particularly if the answer is no to either of the above.
It could be totally innocent, missing cat, smoke detectors battery alarm going off etc. I'd wait and see if they said anything on their return before calling the police on them. And then just ask them.

Fill in an online form for the police just logging it as an incident. Obviously there hasn’t been a crime so they won’t do anything but it’ll be on record in case anything else happens

Does she live with male partner? What’s he doing about it?