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!

Ahh thanks so much everyone, feel better already with all the tips and advice.
We’ve bought it, so are free to make changes.
Don't have an alarm- is it possible to get one a cat won’t set off?
Where do you stand legally with things like metal spikes?
Quite liked the squeaky toy suggestion, I’ll try anything at this stage!
Thanks again everyone.

Burglars are generally opportunistic and will avoid houses with any obvious deterrent. Motion sensor lighting, spikes on the fence, thorny shrubs planted along the boundary line (or, better still, on the outside of the fence where they’re trying to get a foothold, if it’s possible).

Don’t leave windows open, buy a false alarm box if you can’t afford an immediate response service, put up signs that suggest you have cctv, dogs, whatever.

Although I have to say OP (speaking as someone in your exact situation, who decamped from London to an extremely rural area and could barely sleep for months!), you can spook yourself a lot more than necessary by being overly vigilant and putting excessive measures in place because you’re assuming the worst. Depends what the area is like generally, because some places are obviously more burglary-prone than others, but sometimes it just takes time to get used to the feeling of being a bit more isolated/exposed, and getting more confident in new surroundings.

@Aussiemum80

Don't have an alarm- is it possible to get one a cat won’t set off?

Yes, but it's all about zoning, so you'll need to get an installer to inspect your property.. It might mean Tiddles is restricted to a certain area at night.

"buy a false alarm box if you can’t afford an immediate response service"

No, just a bog-standard set-up..

Positioning is the important thing, that's where a professional installer is needed.

Immediate response is rather OTT for anyone other than a multi-millionaire.

This sounds so similar to something I read last month - woodland with people breaking in

https://www.jacksons-security.co.uk/case-studies/best-garden-fencing-for-security

I had years of DH working nights and live quite rurally, some nights I suffered badly with what I called the “3am anxiety”! Generally you know it’s all ok, but at 3am your mind runs away with you if you’re spooked.

As a quick fix, trellis and cctv signs sounds good. Make sure your doors and windows are secured, but do this earlier in the evening rather than just before bed. Keep your mobile charged and landline by your bed, and remind yourself of how much racket someone would have to make to actually try and get in. (I know this will sound batshit to most people but it helped me.) Leave a light on somewhere, I used to leave the downstairs hallway light on. Get sensor lights; animals will set them off but you come to recognise by the trigger pattern if it’s a cat or hedgehog.

Longer term, bramble is very reassuring. It’s a pain because it runs riot, but on the plus side that means if you plant it your side it will seed over the fence too. Trust me, when that’s going for it no one will want to rip themselves to shreds. It’s the fastest growing spiky plant I’ve found and makes a lovely crumble 😀

Friends of ours have sensors that make an alarm go off (both inside and outside the house) if someone breaches the boundary - I think they were expensive but I know it gives them a lot of peace of mind. They also have a panic button, which brings the police straightaway. They also lock every downstairs door at night, so if someone does get in they won’t have an easy time of it.

What appliances would a burglar actually steal ?

Would they make off with the fridge, oven, washing machine, dishwasher. 65" TV ?

If not, why not ? Some common sense is required here.

Burglars tend to want to steal small light valuable stuff that they can easily get rid of, get away with and carry a lot of. Cash and jewellery are tops. Which is why you should never leave jewellery out in a jewellery box but hide it somewhere safe, especially if it is not used on a regular basis. Ipads, phones, notebooks and consoles are probably the few other things they will actually bother to take. Antiques sometimes, but mostly they are too delicate and will end up smashed, plus it is hard to tell what is really valuable and what isn't.

Ahh thats really interesting, thanks for sharing.
Unfortunately we are not a row of luxury mansions but helpful article all the same!

Yes to PP- 3am panic mode is a nightmare and very hard to talk yourself down from, but agree it's important not to let it get the better of you. A few nights in and feeling a lot better but have a handyman booked for Wednesday for extra peace of mind.

You could get those sensor sound things that beep when someone enters, that might scare them off. Also stick stickers up saying cctv is in operation to help deter anyone.

All the above tips but also if you are buying new items for your home, do not leave the cartons out with your rubbish break them up and put them in the bin.

Two reasons for this:

1. they advertise that you have new things
2. they provide the potential burglar with packaging to sell them in

Barbed wires along the garden perimeter
followed by six-foot deep moat and a pair of rottweilers should do the job.

This made me laugh because DH always thinks cardboard boxes are useful and so they get put into the garage until he can think of an actual use for them until the pile of unused cardboard boxes becomes so dangerous that I insist he takes them all to the dump. Only for the cycle to begin again. I aspire to put out boxes in a timely manner.

Ring camera with the alarm you can activate from your phone, Sensor light, cctv warning sign, spikes on fence or thorny climbing plant.

According to the police officer, people often buy new things when they move - a microwave, a kettle, a phone, and they are still in the boxes and easy to make off with a day or so after moving in. In my case they stole my still-boxed lawn mower! It was literally within 24 hours of moving in that I was burgled.

That's the thing. When someone new moves in neighbours won't question a van arriving and things being taken in and out.

@Aussiemum80 take comfort from the fact that would be burglars are both risk averse and lazy. They will be looking for a quick in-and-out and no chance of being disturbed by a vigilant householder.

Or the burglar comes back after 3 months, just gives enough time for you to replace the stolen stuff. Locks on the windows, close the curtains if nobody is at home so a burglar can't see what you've got, door locks with a 3 star rating rather than the cheap ones builders fit, an outside post box, so you don't have a hole in the door that somebody can get a tool through to unlock from the inside or a fishing rod to pick up your car keys.. My ex-police ex-neighbour did once say only get an alarm if lots of other nearby houses have them, as it's a bit like putting a sign in the window "I've got something worth nicking",

@Aussiemum80

Take a look at this :-

www.met.police.uk/cp/crime-prevention/protect-home-crime/