Burgled while we were at home

If you decide to install antitheft devices we had some good advice. Get lights that stay on all night as the bad lads know how to dodge the ones that are motion sensitive. In our last house they installed a panic button above our bed and one at the front door . If you were worried about someone on the doorstep one step back and you could activate it . We never leave home without putting our alarm on even though we are now in a low risk area.

We have been burgled several times. The worst was when they entered our bedroom via a flat roof, and took most of my jewellery. The police were great, and actually found the most valuable piece, a ring, on the grass where it had been dropped. Another time, youths high on drugs, drove straight through the front door but only managed to take an old TV. It took ages to get a new front door. I'm so sorry this has happened to you, it's very frightening and awful when you loose items of sentimental value too. Thinking of you.

I can never see the point of security lights, all they do is light everything up so any one on the prowl can see exactly where everything outside is and avoid tripping over the dustbins etc.

We have had three break ins and one attempted break-in. The attempt was when the potential malfactors failed to see the security alarm while they were stumbling round the back of our house in the pitch black, knocking over plant pots as they went. Had we been in we would have heard them. As it was, they got the fright of their lives when they broke a small window and the alarm went off. They quickly scarpered empty handed.

I feel for you. We returned from a weekend away to find we had been burgled - cash, heirlooms (pillowcase!) etc. Because keys for our 2nd car had been taken yet car was still there, police immobilised that car, then went to get some warmer clothing to do a stake out! Whilst they were away (10 minutes!), we heard voices outside and the burglars had jumped into the car we'd just come back in (with our suitcases and goods we'd bought whilst away) and driven off! We hadn''t realised that they had also taken the spare keys for that car! How brazen!
Whilst they didn't recover our car or property, they did catch the young man who confessed to it and found he was into drugs and had over 300 previous convictions for burglary.
We participated in a new regime where we met the lad (in the company of police) and explained how much his actions had hurt us. He apologised and we were asked if we wanted him to undertake some voluntary work to show his goodwill. We asked for a Christmas card (to be sent via the police worker) telling us how he was getting on. Amazingly - he complied and after 3 years we stopped it. It was hard to do to but we hope that our input helped him to "go straight" and prevent another family being burgled, and that some good came from our upsetting situation.
Incidentally - the lad said he'd flung stuff he didn't want over a fence onto British Rail land (which even the Police could not enter without express permission. They found some items of jewellery, just not ours!

For information.
No problem at all with our insurance even though the door was unlocked.
It was only early evening and they are happy with this.
Just have to pay the usual £200 excess

So glad to hear your insurance company are being sensible

This happened to us we were in bed we didn't hear any noise at all the burglar walked onto our bedroom my oh jumped out of bed and gave chase but couldn't keep up to him. We'd had a particular busy day and I thought my oh had locked the door and he thought i had. All my bank cards had been stolen along with my handbag two mobiles and a camera

I called 999 last night when I heard someone outside and saw a torchlight being shone around mine and my neighbors back garden. I was still on the phone giving details when my 15 foot hedge started to go up in flames so I asked for firebrigade too. Within 10 minutes there were 4 uniformed police and a fire engine at my front door.My OH had himself taken a torch and gone out to the grassy area behind the house while our next door neighbour used his hose on the fire,ours had been cut presumably by the intruder.
There is a young man with a history of fireraising locally and I know it was he I saw walking awy from my hedge with his large dog ,so after taking statements from us the police left to visit him andtwo CID officerscame to check the scene of the fire.
they called me at 4 am to let us know they had arrested him and charged him BUT had let him go on conditions he remained supervised by his parents .
Its been a difficult day ,we didn't sleep at all and it brought back horrible memories of an arson attack on our business 35 years ago .We've lived in this house over 3 decades with no issues ,my doors are always unlocked but this has left me shaken .My sympathy to all of you having these problems

paddyanne that must have been so frightening, especially as you've suffered an arson attack previously.
We had a bad house fire four years ago and I can barely even have a birthday candle in the house now. Fire is so scary.
I'm glad you're physically both ok after this incident.

paddyanne how dreadful and it was clearly planned, a live hedge will not burn without accelerant. To have it happen twice can only make matters worse.

I do hope the police are going to do something more about the culprit than just send him home to his parents.

Nothing anyone says can allay how you must now feel, but I am not the first, and will surely not be the last to offer you sympathy and love at this time