Burgled while we were at home

Bad enough being burgled but whilst you are in the house, unbelievable. Did the Police give any indication why they think your house was targeted. To get through a porch door then the house door took a real nerve then to rummage about knowing you were up and about how brazen can you get! Hope you have the sentimental item found and returned to you and of course the scum caught.

I keep all my doors locked all day and night. I open them to let the dogs out, I stay there while they’re out and as soon as they come back in, the doors are locked again. The windows only open a very small gap so no one could get through a window either. I do it to keep my dogs safe rather than anything else.

Many years ago, someone broke into my house whilst I was asleep in bed. I guess I must've spooked them when I got up to have a shower, so I was walking upstairs, naked, not realising two men were downstairs. When I went downstairs, after my shower, I could feel a draught in the kitchen and realised the window was wide open. Went into the lounge where they had tied the curtain up ready to lift stuff out of the window. Six months later the police rang me to say they had got the main person involved and they drove him around the neighbourhood where he pointed out all the houses he had burgled. Since then, and I'm talking over 10 years, I never have downstairs windows open unless I'm staying in that room for a while and then I will close it if I go to another room. So in summer it gets very stuffy.

It has just happened in our village, mum and child had just gone out for a cycle ride after homeschooling. The dog was hit over the head with a crowbar. CCTV has images but of course they're wearing masks though it has picked up one of their voices.

Can't think of much worse to happen!! We were broken into while we were away. The police were no help at all, declaring "they wouldn't have got in if you'd had locks on your windows!!"
I pointed our we did have locks on the windows, but it made no difference when they broke the window to get in!! Have to say the insurance company were pretty useless too. They insisted the smashed front door should be repaired - I told them if I'd know they were going to break out, I'd have left them a key!!!

So very sorry. There are some miserable creatures about these days and now there is no shame attached to being a thief. It feels so unfair that there is no way of making people understand the pain they cause by doing this.

? A horrible experience, I had the misfortune to be burgled many years ago but I can still remember that awful feeling. Have strength.?

What a terrible experience Lincolnimp that must have been really frightening for you.

I have a slam shut locking system on my back and front doors.
Which means when I close the door it automatically locks and you need a key to unlock it. Some people think it’s not good because you always have to remember your key or you are locked out. But my daughter has a key as does a neighbour...just in case.

I think it’s a great system and a few of my neighbours now have the same.

The dreadful people who burgle people homes should be punished severely. Instead they will probably just get a fine that’s if they are caught at all.

What a horrible experience. Years ago, an elderly next door neighbour (who was often up in the night) told me that she had peered out at around 2am to see a man walking down the street, trying all the front doors - she rapped on her window and he fled. But the next day she went up and down the street telling everyone (and I sent an email around to everyone I know). Most burglaries are opportunistic - an open door or window. I'm always checking the doors because my husband is always forgetting to lock them (!) We decided to get a burglar alarm a few years ago and one bonus of them is that you can set your doors to beep every time they are open - and to set a partial alarm during the night (to cover the more vulnerable windows too), which makes me feel much more secure. I don't know how I would cope if someone had been in my house when I was there. A visit from a local police crime prevention officer might help you feel more secure in the future. Of course, all this doesn't replace much loved items that have gone missing. Sorry.

My husband thinks I am making a fuss when I insisted the back door to our garden is locked when we are in another room watching television. But this post assures me I am doing the right thing!

So sorry for you, it is a shock. Glad you weren't hurt and hope the insurance company does not give you any issues.

Oh poor you! Hope you get some things back and insurers honour your claim.

oh gosh, so sorry to read these horrific stories.

I grew up in an era where we always had our doors open/unlocked,

fairly recently my family urged me to lock my doors, (dh died fairly recently)

it always feels so very strange, almost uncomfortable... but then... ho hum people have changed? or have they?

When I had my house alarm fitted, the installers put a sensor on the front door so that it beeps (a bit similar to the corner shop bell). And I wrapped some cow/goat bells on the patio doors handles. My son said I wouldn’t hear either of them because my tv is too loud.

Oh, how awful, we were burgled whilst we were asleep, not pleasant at all. Unfortunately, most insurers will not cover you unless there is forced entry - I am paranoid about keeping the front door locked whilst we are in the garden etc

How awful for you both

So sorry, it must be an awful shock for you.

What an awful thing to happen to you both! Such a shock. It just shows you opportunists. When I moved 2 years ago there were certain nights where I forgot to lock the front door or the patio doors, all night! How lucky was I?
I do hope the insurance sorts you out, so very sorry about your irreplaceable items.

What an awful thing to happen. I keep my doors locked and I've a wee dog who lets me know if someone's at my house. My friend sent me pics, that had been put on Facebook the other day, that had been taken around our area to let me know a white van had been driving slowly with guys checking out the houses. I said could be burglars or dog nappers at it again. Terrible people who can take from others, no consciences whatsoever.

I wish my in-laws qould take note. They alwaus leave their front door unlocked. They have been burgled by someone who walked in to the lounge and got upstairs unnoticed. They still dont lock the door. We have walked in unnoticed too - we were expected but fil had popped out and mil was in the garden....

That's horrible! I hope you find some of your missing things. My Mum had her handbag pinched from the church she goes to - she cares for the garden as it sits in a plot of land which isn't a cemetery. Sadly, as she'd gone out in a rush she'd put her engagement rings (the original and the one my Dad bought her on their 25th wedding anniversary) in her purse so she lost both of those. Not hugely valuable in money terms but irreplaceable as my Dad had died a few years earlier!

A colleague of my husband's realised they had been burgled when he couldn't find his watch in the morning - which had been on his bedside table! Admittedly this was in Hong Kong but still, the fact that they'd come into the bedroom while he and his wife were asleep was terrifying!

Very sorry to hear this. Have been burgled 3 times over the years, twice when we were away and once at home! We were lucky with the "home" visit and managed to.scare them off before anything was taken or someone injured. Very scary! On the previous occasions they took some beautiful valuable family jewellery, money, a new tv set and some small kitchen items. Nothing ever recovered of course. Insurance money does help but precious items are so missed. Police were very good and so reassuring. I too check all my doors twice!

It sounds like an opportunistic burglary rather than planned, frightening and your experience is a salutary lesson to all of us, lincolnimp.

JenniferEccles I think that cyber crime and dognapping have increased during the lockdown.

What a horrible experience for you. I bet you still feel very shaken up.

Last Saturday we were having a stroll through the castle grounds in a nearby town and a few police were around presumably ready to pounce on any groups sitting in the sunshine on the grass.

I commented to my husband that the police probably don’t have many real crimes like burglaries to investigate at the moment with so many people at home.

Your story just goes to show that even occupied properties don’t always deter the low life.

I’m so sorry this has happened to you. You must feel violated but at least you’ve not been physically harmed. A number of my friends have been burgled so may I pass on some suggestions based upon their experiences and the advice they had from the police?
As well as looking in bins it might be worth checking front gardens, especially bushes and hedges, for anything discarded.
Can you put out a message locally - say on FB/local Homewatch site - so you reach a wider audience who can look for you?
Rough pubs (hopefully no pubs open now) have been used to sell on jewellery within hours of theft.
Open air markets are another location - selling stolen goods takes place well before stalls are set up. A visit at sparrowfart?
It might be a good time to install a camera overlooking your driveway.
Good luck!

How horrible for you, this is something I absolutely dread. I have heard a suggestion to keep a 'dummy bag' downstairs with old defunct credit cards in and a very small amount of cash which a burglar may take quickly and then leave.

There is conflicting advice about whether or not to take your bag upstairs - I keep mine by the bedside. Late MIL had her bag taken as she always left it by her chair - the scumbag got in through a kitchen window which she'd forgotten to close. Very distressing.