Been here a week, attempted break in already!

[Aussiemum80]

We’ve just moved into a lovely family home which backs onto woods and has a footpath directly behind the fence at the end of the garden with a gate leading to it. The fence is 6ft and you can’t see through it anywhere, there are neighbours all along the path so we’re not the only ones.
I’ve been a bit paranoid about burglary/ someone getting in the garden as it feels a bit vulnerable, and lo and behold, after 1 week I went to the end of the garden today and found two chunks of the top of the fence missing. I went round to the path side to have a look and there are footprints on the fence like someone has tried to scramble up but failed. Definitely weren’t there when we moved in.
Now i’m very nervous, typically DH works away a lot and is away tonight, and we have 2 small children. I feel like the house is quite secure and we have garden lighting, but I am terrified that the garden will light up and there will be two men in hoodies standing there! Its made me a bit of a wreck!
Not really sure what I’m asking for other than any tips on stopping people entering the garden from fence side? Prickly plants, Cameras, electric fence etc? Don’t think I’m gonna sleep tonight!

Any chance you could get a dog? Mine is only small but she barks at... well, everything really, but it would take a very brave person to want to drop into a garden with a barking dog in it.

You need to upgrade the fence, it needs to be of good quality, and top up with anti intruder wires or whatever is legal to have nowadays. You also need to install cctv. You need to display a sign stating the fence has anti intruder something or another. In theory that should be visible. In practice, who's to say some ivy isn't obscuring the sign. Let the fuckers find out for themselves.
A dog is definitely a good deterrent and security lights.

sounds like a good reason to get to know your neighbours and find out what they have done in their gardens

When you say moved in do you mean rented or bought. If bought, then change the fence, if rented speak to your landlord.

My mum had vicious metal spikey strips attached to the top of her gate to prevent anyone climbing over and they were very successful in that no-one ever tried! It might be worth talking to the police, explain what’s happened and ask if they have any suggestions too.

Upgrade the fence, maybe get rid of the gate if you dont need it, and plant lots of dense thorny bushes and plants along the fence line. Also a motion activated light out the back and consider a camera too

There is all sorts of stuff that you could put on the fence - look online . we have a lot of planting , some of it things like holly and hedging with thorns , which makes a dive over our fence unattractive from the footpath behind . Cameras are a must and a sign on the fence saying they are on camera

I was told that cameras are now the best deterrent.

It might just be someone nosy having a look at their new neighbours too !

Get security cameras that you can see on your phone, ones that alert you with motion, spikes on top of the fence and a very bright motion activated garden light.
Also second getting a dog if it’s practical. Some dickhead came sneaking though our side gate at 4am (DH had left it unlocked after the oil delivery 🤦‍♀️) and the absolute eruption from the dogs had him turning and legging it - they sounded like a feral pack of wolves and it was quite funny to watch on the cameras 🤣🤣

If you can’t get a dog, put up a sign saying “dogs running free” and leave a very large dog water bowl outside your back door.

See what you can buy to put on the top of the fence, my neighbours have the plastic spike strips on their fence. Could you raise the height of the back fence?
I’d also get security lights in the garden and CCTV (some of the fake ones are pretty good).
Getting a dog, if not part of your future plans, is a bit extreme. But nothing stopping you putting a dog bowl outside your door, might just make someone think there is a dog. (Certainly cheaper and less responsibility that an actual dog). Get a beware of the dog sign for the gate.
Could you add a gravel path / area along the fence so you’d hear someone.
I would plant some prickly bushes too - we have some against a wall and no way anyone is getting through those.

Berberis and pyrocantha hedges planted under accessible windows. Fiercely thorny.

If you go down the route of putting anti theft spikes on your fence ( which i would definitely consider) remember to put a warning sign up. It's something you have to do.

A pyracantha hedge or climbing roses all along the back fence would be good.

Also anti climb paint.

Trellis on top of the fence is good. Burglars hate it because it won’t support the weight of a person but breaks showing exactly where they tried to get in. And signs warning of cameras (even if there aren’t any cameras).

FWIW, a policeman told me that houses become targets when someone has just moved in. In fact I was burgled a few days after moving into my last house, and it was burgled again just after I moved out years later. Apparently people buy new devices and appliances when they move so these houses are rich pickings. Each time it was only the once.

Some flimsy trellis on top of the fence so they can't get a proper hold. Security lighting that is angled so it comes on if something moves on top of the fence not just in your garden. Talk to your neighbours and see what they do, ask if they have had issues, see if any of their CCTV covers your fence as well etc

Dangerous dog sign
A real dog
cameras
spikes along the top
window locks
no valuables or gadgets left out or car keys
indoor security lights
radio left on - with talking station such as R4

Blackberry bushes or roses are your friends. Brambles will grow quicker - just keep them trimmed and it doesn’t look disastrous. My mum did this in her town garden and it looked brilliant - and the blackberries were a bonus! If you have more time a hawthorn hedge is also an alternative winner.

Thinking about it dog roses will grow quickly and not be too expensive either.

Perhaps scatter cheap small squeaky toys in back garden that go off when trodden on in dark?

Have you got the obvious burglar alarm + security window & door locks ?

Has your local police force got a CPO (crime prevention officer) who could advise?

This only works if you live in a Tom & Jerry cartoon.