Caught neighbours using my garden

[Weird21]

I have a block of flats next to my house and I thought for a while things have been moved in my garden and it seemed a bit weird. I’ve got a lock on the gate and it’s always locked. So over the weekend I’ve installed a small out door camera under my guttering which records the whole back garden.

So I’ve come home tonight after work (I work the late shift) and found two cigarette butts on the path by my seating area. So I checked the camera and the neighbors have climbed my wall and been sitting in my garden from 2pm until 8pm using my seating and table. To say I’m annoyed is an understatement but how to I confront them as they aren’t the friendliest of people at the best of times. So I guess they’ve been doing this since the nice weather began.

Unfortunately it’s not difficult to see i’m out as I have to drive to work and so once my cars not there they obviously know I’m out.

I just don’t know how to approach this as I’m a single woman and just concerned it’ll escalate but I can’t allow this what would you all do? I thought maybe a note through their door asking them to not use it anymore. They haven’t seen the camera but now I wonder how long it’s been going on.

@bakingdemon

I have never read such an outrageous example of CFery on this site! OP, poor you and I totally get you feeling really vulnerable.

PPs have some great ideas - a combination of additional measures on top of the fence, some spiky bushes at the base of it, timed sprinklers and a call to the police about intruders should do it.

You haven't read the Mexican House Thief thread, have you? 🤣

Bloody scary.

Alternatively you could leave them a note that you have seen them there, they can use your garden so long as you are out and they don't leave mess.

WTF?!

@simonisnotme

Alternatively you could leave them a note that you have seen them there, they can use your garden so long as you are out and they don't leave mess. who the fuck thinks other people should be allowed to use a private garden to park there arses, jeezus wept some people are so stupid

Probably the same people on MN who think that people with driveways should allow anyone to park on them if they're not using it at the time.

It was years ago now but my 2x great grandad was having problems with people stealing fruit from a tree in his garden. They used the fruit it's not like it was left to go to waste. So, he dug a trench all the way round the tree, filled it with water and pug manure then carefully relaid the top layer of turf and scattered a few leaves about. He soon heard who'd gone home with their shoes ruined 😂. So, maybe plan something that will be an unpleasant surprise for them.

It’s a shame you’ve recorded the saga with the police as you’ll now be bottom of their priority list and ignored.

I would have dialled 999 and said that you could see intruders in your back garden near the back door. Not lied but not mentioned that you recognised them. Sadly I don’t think police would respond anyway, given past experience they don’t have time to deal with burglary.

This is not wasting police time - if police do not enforce the boundaries of property ownership where will we end up as a country? ☹️

Should say pig not pug. Got to love autocorrect

Put a note through their door saying it has been brought to your attention that someone is using your garden while you are out, and ask them to drop you a line if they see anything suspicious. Say you have asked other neighbours to do the same (you don't actually have to tell anyone else, just let them think you are going to). And say you will then notify the police of trespassing and ask them the take action. May be enough to scare them off.

I like the deterrents you've set up but I agree that you should still contact the police if they manage to get back into your garden again - with the whole "there are intruders in my back yard, I live alone and I'm scared that they're casing the house for future burglary attempts" story.

I rather hope the police will scare them away from coming back to your house, but I'd certainly think about investing in a few more spiky bushes, just in case!
As mentioned already, firethorn is a good option - also there are several pretty varieties of berberis (nasty fecking thorns!) and emeraldplants.co.uk/product/mahonia-japonica/mahonia(even bigger and nastier holly-style leaves). A most beautiful but hard to grow in the UK plant is the bougainvillea - it has EVIL thorns on it! Or just a nice spiky climbing rose... So many choices!

If they are nightmare neighbours I'd do nothing to tip them off that you know and do as you planned on Friday. Ring the police and tell them you've seen intruders in the back garden and let them sort them out.

@DrCoconut

It was years ago now but my 2x great grandad was having problems with people stealing fruit from a tree in his garden. They used the fruit it's not like it was left to go to waste. So, he dug a trench all the way round the tree, filled it with water and pug manure then carefully relaid the top layer of turf and scattered a few leaves about. He soon heard who'd gone home with their shoes ruined 😂. So, maybe plan something that will be an unpleasant surprise for them.

Your great great grandfather, you mean? I think that legal precedent about ‘nasty surprises’ might have been a bit different in Victorian times! I wouldn’t advise trying it now.

Found this link that I thought might be useful:

www.mylawyer.co.uk/trespassing-a-A76076D34460/

@Weird21

The neighbours really are like me and suggestions to get men round I could easily I have a friend in a biker club who would happily come round but then when I’m left on my own what will happen? I really don’t want a whole load of trouble and I’m left here on my own unfortunately until you’re in this situation you don’t really realise how scary it is.

The neighbor said nothing as they’re like me trying to stay out of their way and kept saying please don’t say we told you, I won’t of course but now I’ve given them my number so they can text me as it’s safer.

They’re using the fence horizontal slates to get to the top of the wall and out and they’re bringing a stool the neighbour said to get access the other side. Hopefully the holy bush will give them a fright as that’s the only place they can get in and out

Update us please as to what happens with the police when you do call them.

Is itching powder still a thing?

Paul's Himalayan Musk is a vigorous rambling rose that looks lovely, smells lovely and has very sharp thorns - easy to get your gardener to train it all over the top and sides of your wall. Another one with horrid thorns is Handel, beautiful rose with gorgeous scent that flowers all summer but huge sharp thorns. I have both in my garden and the scars to go with them. Some Cotinus (smoke bush) shrubs have thorns too.

I'd call the police and say there are intruders in your garden.

Then top your wall with spikes and grow brambles over the wall. Or Berberis. It's horrible spiky stuff.

Some people are just vile. Can't even be bothered to pick up their cigarettes butts.

Sorry if this has been said already but trespass on its own is not a criminal offence in England

There was a way you could have known.

@FakingMemories

I’d put a sign that says “smile! You’re on camera” on the table.

I sympathize OP. It’s horrible, we lived in a place once that had the largest garden in the street by a considerable amount. It’s just the way the houses and gardens were done many years ago - not something we did. The neighbours took out a fence panel so that their children could use our garden whilst we were at work. We discovered it when we found bicycle tracks from their garden through ours and then found the fence panel that they used to slide in and out of place. We confronted them about it and the wife initially denied any knowledge of this so we showed them the tracks and then the husband got very shirty with us saying we don’t deserve such a big garden if we are at work all day and don’t use it.

Wow! I've had CF neighbours but my jaw dropped at that last sentence.

Sounds like you've had great advice, I'd get friends to randomly pop in when you're out and catch them as well, doesn't sound like the police will do much (although I could be wrong).

Drive your car out as usual, then when they are safely in your garden, go and make tea for yourself in their kitchen?

@simonisnotme

Alternatively you could leave them a note that you have seen them there, they can use your garden so long as you are out and they don't leave mess. who the fuck thinks other people should be allowed to use a private garden to park there arses, jeezus wept some people are so stupid

😆 I’ve heard it all now!!

I would invite your toughest looking friends around, move your car around the corner, then have a sprinkler system in place and lie and wait indoors.

*It’s a shame you’ve recorded the saga with the police as you’ll now be bottom of their priority list and ignored.

I would have dialled 999 and said that you could see intruders in your back garden near the back door.*

I thought this, it’s admin to them now. Not a potential burglary.

Hopefully it’s enough to get things moving with the HA.

Or I'd be tempted to get a friend or neighbour to keep an eye out and then call the police to report a break in.

Just had a thought: we put up very obvious cctv cameras for our CFers, at the police's request, & they kept interfering with one of the cameras, walking onto our property & changing the angle so that it wouldn't pick they up as they trespassed.

PS the CFers denied to the police that the camera moving was anything to do with them, even though they were, er... caught on cctv doing it. Not the brightest of people.