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Original poster

Have you ever been burgled around Christmas time?

17 replies

itschrismurftime · 20/12/2006 12:00

We are going away for a few days before Christmas and I am so worried that we will be burgled.

We have double glazing, no pressies under the tree, lights on a timer, no alarm (broken) but we do have window alarms. There is nobody who can check the house for us so I am scared we will be broken into and nobody will know.

Is it as common as the papers make out? How can we protect ourselves?

OP posts:
Debbiethemum · 20/12/2006 12:23

We have never been burgled over Christmas, but do you have neighbours who could keep an eye open for anybody. Or ask them to move the curtains a bit each day, so they are not in the same position every day?

I am not so worried about the house but very worried about all the presents in the car as we are spending Sat night at my FIL's before travelling on to my parents. I just cannot think what else I can do with all the presents.

Original poster
itschrismurftime · 20/12/2006 12:51

We don't know our neighbours well enough to give them our keys tbh and all our friends are going away as well!

Can you take the presents into the house?

OP posts:
Stockingsofdinosaurs · 20/12/2006 12:53

We were burgled in Dec04 but not I think what you'd call a Christmas burglary. Our burglars smashed out the glass in a TINY (I repeat TINY) larder window. The police said they had to have used a child because an adult head wouldn't have fitted through the frame. It was a Friday morning in termtime and they must have taken the kid out of school to stuff him through jaggedy holes on to a load of broken glass .
They only stole my engagement ring from the kitchen windowsill (rear) and I wouldn't have noticed if they hadn't left my plain silver-coloured wedding ring (it's actually platinum so sucks boo to them).
I would buy in some pot plants (if you don't have any) and ask a neighbour to pop in and water them, checking over the house as you go.

iPodForLifeNotJustForChristmas · 20/12/2006 12:56

I was as a student. we had a burgly alarm but all that happened was it got set off, we go burgled, no one did anything and then when we returned 3 weeks later we got hassle from the neighbours who told us it had gone off!

Re the car - I'd just make sure that nothing can be seen and that no-one sees the boot full of stuff when you park it up.

TBH, you have done all you can and if someone is that determined then you can only deal with it if it happens. Hide all valuable documents - ie passport, bills etc before you go in somewhere than they are unlikely to access just to cover identity theft. Make sure you have good contents cover and ENJOY YOURSELVES AND DONT WORRY!

Debbiethemum · 20/12/2006 12:59

I think I will have to, but I don't want the children to see them - huge big boxes. I don't know if using large ELC/ToysRUs bags is better or worse than wrapped presents. I could wait till they are in bed before emptying the car - it's loading the car before they get up which is the difficulty.

Stockingsofdinosaurs · 20/12/2006 13:16

We'd only been living in our new house a month when we paid next door's teenager to feed the cat while we went on holiday this year! It was quite a nice icebreaker and I'm sure his mum had a good nose about (Who wouldn't?)

paulaplumpbottom · 20/12/2006 13:47

I used to have a friend who would record everyday conversations between her family and then had that on a timer upstairs on a volume that sounded realistic.

morningpaper · 20/12/2006 13:51

Do burglars REALLY steal presents from under the tree though? My mum never let us have presents under the tree for this reason. But why would they steal a pile of cheap toys and crap aftershaves, for the possible jackpot of a George Foreman Grill? I've never understood this.

annh · 20/12/2006 13:52

I don't think you have to "know" the neighbours to ask them just to keep an eye on things for you. We went abroad a week after we moved into our new house (didn't deliberately plan it that way)and asked next-door to pop in occasionally, move the post etc. which they were very happy to do. Brought them back a nice box of choccies - happiness all round!

batters · 20/12/2006 13:53

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

TheBlonde · 20/12/2006 13:56

We have been burgled but not at Xmas

It's a pain but if you are insured it's not the end of the world

I'd much rather they'd come while we were away rather than me waking up to the sound of them in our house

santasweetdreamer · 20/12/2006 14:03

we were once burgled on boxing day

this was before we had kids

we'd recently got married and they took xmas and wedding presents!

paulaplumpbottom · 20/12/2006 14:06

What sort of area do you live in?

GoodKingWestCountryLass · 20/12/2006 21:53

I don't think there is that much you can do really, if they want to target your house they will get in regardless.

We were burgled 4 years ago on New Years Eve, we had alarm but they just cut the wires to the box and disabled it. They took everything electrical and jewellry etc but I was glad we were away as my DF went round and cleared most of it up and so we never felt violated as such.

TheChristmasArmadillo · 20/12/2006 21:55

we got burgled a couple of days after christmas a few years ago - but we were in at the time. Crappy front door though.

If you're worried can you get timers for the lights (or even one you plug into the plug socket for a lamp).

Was a pain but not too bad cos the insurance covered it.

marymillington · 20/12/2006 21:58

leave a radio on somewhere too, maybe. i always make sure its not too tidy when i go away, scatter some toys about here and there. make sure all your personal valuables and paperwork are well hidden - that's what's irreplaceable. am sure the neighbours would keep an eye out for you even if you didn;t want to give them the key (unless its them you're worried about of course!)

dp had a bag nicked from the back of his car a few years ago on 23rd dec. unfortunately for the theives it only contained his stinky laundry that he was bringing round to mine as his washing machine was broken.....

hugeheadofangelhair · 20/12/2006 21:58

My DH's bike got stolen from our driveway on Christmasday a few years ago. We were at home, but hadn't seen anything.

But no, never been burgled

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