Help! Where do I stand here?

[Yonididnaedaethat]

Let the dogs out in the back garden, didn't realise there was 2 little shits boys in the garden stealing my DS footballs! I just heard the barks, went out and the boys were basically stuck in a corner with no-where to go. I grabbed the dogs, they ran off shouting and swearing that they were getting their mum! The dogs never touched them but when your roughly age 13ish having 2 German Shepherds cornering you I'm sure they shit their pants. I'm waiting on the police phoning me back as I thought I better get in 1st incase the mother comes round!..........I have a sign saying 'beware of the GSD's' but clearly it was worth taking the risk of a football

I believe that as you have a sign, your garden is private property and your dogs did not hurt the boys then you should be OK. I would wait and see but I cannot see any parent phoning the police if their child was chased by dogs while pinching things out of somebody else's garden :)

Watching with interest. I hope that you will be indisputably innocent of any charge.

Thanks the police phoned back and basically said it was the boys own fault, they should never had entered a property with a clear sign on a 6 ft gate. I've also been given a name so if any of the mums comes to my door, which they say is very unlikely then I've to pass on the police details to them.

It just annoys me to think that if the dogs had given chase out the garden it could've been a very different story

I think you should get bolts for the top and bottom of the gate in case of future trouble .

I would take down any sign that said "Beware of the dog". The implication of that is visitors NEED to be wary of the dog, and that therefore your dog may be liable to bite, and you know this, hence the sign. This could be a problem in cases of civil liability.

A sign saying something like "Dogs Running Free" is acceptable.

I would definitely get bolts for the garden though - apart from these children, your dogs are also vulnerable to theft, or mischievous DC deliberately letting the door open so they escape.

The 2 little shits boys might want to "get back" at you for being found out, so I would definitely make sure you've got bolts on the gate, otherwise they might do something stupid and let your dog out onto the road etc