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.

Berberis. Tis good for wildlife.

The actual cheek of bringing a stool to aide their trespassing

Drive away as usual. Call the police, say you're on yr way home an yr alarm system alerted you that there are intruders and you're scared to go home alone as they are still there. tell them how to get into yr garden. Do not mention anything else. im sure they will attend asap and tell u not to go home until they go. Im sure this is the only way yr neighbours would get the mesaage by the sounds of it.

The blatant audacity !! What a bloody cheek!
If I were you I’d get a couple of male friends to sneak into your house on the nice day and then drive off to work as usual.
Then your friends can catch them in the act of climbing over and challenge them.

You can get non drying anti vandal paint

@Houseofvelour

This is the second cheekiest thing I've read on MN (Mexican house thief will always have top spot)

Totally agree on both counts!! Mexican house their will never be beaten 😂 I might add that what i just wrote above is what my police friend wd say, if u make it sound like they are in yr garden and u think they may be trying to break in in a roundabout sort of way as ur not sure of their intentions police will be there like a shot

Timed sprinklers right next to the seating be a laugh.

Any updates??

Pyracantha is a bastard (I'm a gardener and every single person I work with hates it!) But Berberis is not only violent and fast growing, it's very pretty and bees love the flowers

Unbelievable they have the nerve to do this.... I would say you have had some thefts and have put up a camera on police suggestion. Hopefully that will put them off.

Record the sound of a fierce barking dog and amplify it, then connect it to a PIR motion sensor, so it comes on when there is any activity on the wall.

Incidentally, while trespassing may not be a crime in the UK per se, dropping a cigarette butt on someone's land is classed as criminal damage.

I would definitely get a sign that states, "Private property. No trespassing." And another that states "CCTV in operation."

@AddsVsGeorgs

100% Go out Friday, at normal time

Sit and wait

Do not tell the police they are your CK neighbours

Literally say you are miles away and uv seen intruders in your garden….

Thats the only way your going to get rid of them without any come back.

I can't believe PPs think it's ok to mislead the police like this, pretending you don't know who they are when you do. That changes the threat level, making it sound like you're about to be burgled when you know that's not the case. Very naughty.

You can get cameras you can speak through. When you see them you could say hi.

@Insanelysilver

The blatant audacity !! What a bloody cheek! If I were you I’d get a couple of male friends to sneak into your house on the nice day and then drive off to work as usual. Then your friends can catch them in the act of climbing over and challenge them.

This on the other hand is a great idea!

Nothing to add. Just place marking for updates.

It's trespass, report to the police with your video evidence

Sorry, just been told it's a civil matter. Take them to court, there's absolutely no way this is a first offence as you've seen evidence of them being in your garden

Def call police Friday when pretending to go to work

So cheeky

Tho would have been good to see foxes using your furniture 😂😂

Get a load of fake dog poos and leave them on the chairs. Absolute fuckers.

Water sprinkler operated via your phone.

Borrow a friend’s massive dog.

Install a doorbell camera
Set up with sensors that will bleep when they are there
One with speaker functions will
Make it possible to say

You're on CCTV and trespassing and this footage will be sent to the police 👮🏻‍♀️

@WomanStanleyWoman

Cover the top of the wall with broken glass.

That's illegal

Bloody hell. I thought my father in law was being a fuddy duddy when he told me not to buy a house next to a small block of flats. Your story makes me think he was right.

Anyway. It’s trespassing. Pass to the police and put a sign up clearly that they are being recorded and trespassing is punishable by £10,000 fine. Have it stated like it would do on a parking notice.

But moreover do you not have any male friends or relatives that could have a word and tell them it’s not on. You may not want to escalate but they are breaching the sanctity of your home. Enough with the nicey nicey

@Namechangeforthisquestion7

Another vote here for calling the police to report intruders on your property. Followed by barbed wire along the top of the fence. They are the biggest CFs ever!

Barbed wire is also illegal