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.

Spikes, broken glass, breakable-tables, anti-climb paint. Anything that's done to cause harm (broken glass, breakable table) is illegal

Diddums! Maybe an MP needs to bring forward legislation that if someone is injured by whatever means when illegally entering someone else's property it's tough luck, worded in more legalese!

It might be a great time to give your table and chairs a fresh lick of paint!
Main things as others have said are to make the garden inaccessible and call the police when they next come. I can't believe how brazen people can be.

Could you send the pics to the housing association and ask them to give the tenants a warning? Say you'll go straight to the police in future.

Moving the holly sounds a good idea - is that the only place they can get over the wall? If not then add other spiky plants like a rambling rose - might not grow enough for this year, but a rose should reach the top of a wall by next summer, and you could train it along the top.

@crowsfeet57

Phone the HA. Explain you have screenshots of them in your garden but say you fear repercussions if they find out you’ve reported them. Ask their advice

The HA won't give advice, you can either log a complaint about ASB or not. They won't tell them who complained but unless they are breaking into multiple gardens they won't need to. Be aware they will ignore a single report of ASB you will need to be very clear that you are reporting multiple instances. You will also need to send them a weekly update to make sure they take action.

I think Flagship do, or at least they used to when SIL worked for them. They used to loan out noise recorders and that sort of thing and were really quite proactive and sympathetic to those suffering the effects of ASB.

Definitely send pics to HA!

Do you have a community Facebook page you know they're on? Perhaps put a message to innocently ask if anyone has seen someone acting suspiciously as you've found evidence of trespass and worried about attempted break-in. "Ask" for advice. Should I call the police/camera etc.

Definitely get a garden sprinkler on a timer or smart plug.

Log in, watch camera, start sprinklers!

Bloody cheek OP.

I'd probably chicken out of the sprinkler idea and put anti climb paint on the wall instead. Plus make the camera more visible, and put up "you're on CCTV" signs.

@FunMcCool

Can you get a ring camera set up so your phone gets a notification when there is movement in your harden and then call the police and say you’ve seen intruders in your garden?

What do you think the police are going to do about people sitting having a fag in the OP's garden?

OP, do you perhaps have an Iberian grandparent who might be able to visit

I’d pack the table and chairs away into a locked outbuilding and watch the CFers sit on the floor.

Seems unfair that you should have to make your garden less attractive to you in order to keep them out. I'd be inclined to do as others have suggested - police and send video to the HA saying they are are breaking the law repeatedly. The gall of some people is staggering!

I'd put anti climbing paint stuff on the top of your wall, but I'd wait til late to do it so they don't know and get covered in it. Cheeky fuckers

Get a visible camera installed. Pop a note through all of the doors of the next door HA flats, saying that you have noted that you have trespassers using your garden. You have installed a camera as per police advice, and the police are going to be undertaking spot checks. In the meantime, if they notice anything suspicious, could they please let you know.

May be a non-confrontational way of dealing with the situation. If it doesn't work, video and HA.

What arseholes. Hope you get something sorted.

I agree with the posters who say call the police.

Lots of bad advice on this thread.

If this were me and these were my neighbours, I'd put up a CCTV sign up. I imagine they are likely to leap to the invasion of privacy 'defence/offensive' as a first reaction if confronted, threaten ME with legal action - I know, it is ridiculous, but I've been caught out like that before. The sign doesn't have to be huge, but it needs to be visible.
Leave it a couple of days, then put up the trellis. You know, to 'train some sweet peas up' because I'm still hoping they germinate before September and fill my garden with a lovely smell.
Best of luck @Weird21.
to tide you over 'til those sweet peas grow

Put a sign up on the wall threat they climb saying cctv in operation.

That not threat

Depressingly, do you think the police would actually bother to come out for that?

In France they keep (youthful) trouble-makers out of their underground carparks by playing 'uncool' music. It really works!

You could leave a radio on inside
Your house.

Other people's music can be very offensive and completely spoil a relaxing atmosphere.

I agree about contacting the housing association and telling them you fear reprisals from them. (Anyone might have seen them climbing into the garden.)

The problem with anti climb paint is it may transfer to the lovely seating, so if you think they will still get over even if it is painted on, then I'd rule that out. (or at least remove the cushions)
The spikes etc are fair game, but frankly pyracantha, holly etc to land on would work brilliantly, and the sprinkler would work initially but they'll just repoint it away from your seating.
I'd also consider a cardboard cut out - quite like Gareth Southgate myself, position just inside patio doors so can be seen looking over garden towards a person on the wall, so it looks like someone is in the garden, ideally if you can rig it up with a ring doorbell speaker at the same time so it can say 'oi, what are you doing?' in a burly voice.

I'm so sorry you are having to deal with this. I detest this type of person. How dare they think that they can just help themselves to your garden - it beggars belief

Put cat spikes along the top of the wall- we got some to keep foxes out, and I leaned on them by accident when painting the fence. They're quite painful!

Good luck with it all, what a horrible situation.

You really need to confront this by informing the poice as it could escalate, ie. others joining them, increasingy anti-social behaviour, burglary. The very least you should do is put a sign on wall they are climbing: Private Property, CCTV in operation, Trespassers procecuted.

I'd put some dummy CCTV cameras up - enough that they will know you're watching but if they're going to try to trash them - they're fakes, and then you've got them damaging property on your "proper" camera.