GAH

[sarah_orange]

bums! got burgled at 3AM last night. Al was still up and noticed the internet connection drop as they unplugged everything in the living room and then a few minutes later he heard the door shutting behind them and wondered if it was one of us coming in. no sign of anyone by the time he got down there - which considering they had my shiny 32" Sony HD TV means they must have had a car.

they also took Al's EEEPC and my old nokia 6300 phone. and fuzzy's housekeys to open the front door. which unfortunately were his bike and bike chain keys too. arse.

nice policeman turned up at 6:00am and took details after he went I phoned into work and told them I wasn't coming in. SOC came round about 10 and proved, to my relief, as i suspected that they'd come in through the window in the living room (which they'd had the good grace to shut behind them thus confusing us) - by forcing it when it was open in vent mode. they left a couple of bin bags which the police should be able to get prints from (and foot prints from me walking round probably too before I twigged) and they took prints from the window.

it was a relief because I *remember* locking the door behind me when I came in at 8 last night and no-one else went out. but then you start to doubt yourself and worry about the insurance claim...

our landlords, Handley Gibson Twaite, have sent someone out to see us and very quickly and after he's dealt with a slightly more pressing water pipe burst somewhere he's changing all 3 locks and putting a new catch on the window (it's really wobbly)

all in all very annoying but a good wakeup call to the security of the house - that window lock was a bit wobbly before and I know that if it had been fully shut they wouldn't have been able to get purchase on it. nothing of sentimental value was taken (well apart from my beautiful shiny 32" sony widescreen telly *sob*) and we're a little wiser.

Comments

[blondelass.livejournal.com]

Bugger! Really sorry to hear that.

But why yours? It's not like they could have just been strolling past and thought "ooo, there's an open window".

Hope you get the insurance sorted.

[sarah-orange.livejournal.com]

lots in the area last night apparently and one attempted one over the road... perhaps they thought there'd be less chance of getting disturbed at the bottom of a cul-de-sac?

[daevid.livejournal.com]

That was my thinking too... I take it most of the students have gone or are going...

[nigelh.livejournal.com]

At a guess they pick on an area and go hunting within it for "easy" targets.

[maviscruet.livejournal.com]

That is a massive pain. Bastards.

[purpledonna.livejournal.com]

Goodness, at least you were all unhurt.

[daevid.livejournal.com]

That is the main thing!

[ebb.livejournal.com]

Yes. This.

Sorry to hear about it but luckily they didn't damage any of you and took things which will be covered and (hopefully easily) replaced by insurance. And improved house security is never a bad thing.

*tea*

[sarah-orange.livejournal.com]

*biscuits*

(Well if I wasn't on a diet)

[dracven.livejournal.com]

Bastards. At least no one was hurt.

[wibblefish.livejournal.com]

scumbags, hope they get em and glad you are all ok.

[lostlorelei.livejournal.com]

That is rubbish, poor you :/ xxx

[kantti.livejournal.com]

Oh dear, poor you. Hope insurance claim all goes smoothly.

[kynon.livejournal.com]

Bar stewards.

Still, it's only *stuff* that's been lost.

[sarah-orange.livejournal.com]

exactly - if it had been my pc I'd have been *gutted* but important stuff is upstairs and these are just opportunists looking for shiny stuff

[sinibar.livejournal.com]

It's the difficulty in nicking / sale value ratio that's critical. Sounds like your lot knew exactly what they were doing. They'll have been disappointed not to get a haul of DVDs and only get a cheap lappie, but they wouldn't have known that when they targeted your place.
Fortunately most things that have sentimental value fall below the too difficult / too little value threshold for the professional house-breaker. It's the twats with a drug habit to feed that smash windows and take *anything*.

Security, BTW, is just a matter of making your house less attractive to burglars than the ones around it. More than that is unnecessary and just inconveniences you. The reason I say that is because I know several people who've gone way OTT with security after getting burgled (although I doubt you would anyway). I've actually got *less* security conscious as I know what will be nicked and frankly I can afford to lose it. The real valuables are either worthless to them or are very well hidden indeed.

A good tip BTW is never to leave keys around, then they have to get whatever they're nicking out an unlocked window or however they came in.
Also consider padlocking your PC to something relatively immobile. If they need more than a pair of wire-clippers to get it they'll leave it.

...and of course, my sympathies.

[ruby-noir.livejournal.com]

Pricks. Does make me appreciate the bars on my windows (and stress about the two out of three locks on my front door that don't work!). Must be a relief to know for sure that you didn't leave the door open - after my car was nicked, I spend ages second guessing myself about whether I'd left it locked. Hopefully the insurance will play nice and replace all your stuff quickly... and if they did leave prints, the police might even catch the bastards and let you guys have 5 minutes alone with them and the barbarian axe!

[twokan.livejournal.com]

fuzzys "customer service tool" should do nicely. A claw hammer with a stanley knife tapped to it

[twokan.livejournal.com]

sorry to hear that hun, do they just follow you and al around?

Think i better make another cider delivery soon

[malcav.livejournal.com]

Awwww sorry to hear that chicken. glad no one was hurt though.

[plushy.livejournal.com]

Ah gahds! I live in fear of the day I'll get burgaled, it's bound to happen to everyone once isn't it? :( Sounds like police and landlords are being really good and proactive though which must help you feel safe again. If it's going to happen, them's not bad circumstances for it to happen in. Plus obviously you guys are all ok which is the most important thing :) Hope it all gets sorted quickly! x

[toxicpixie.livejournal.com]

Arseholes :(

Nathan, the Toxic Pixie

[breadlord.livejournal.com]

Did they get your 360? I've still got one you can have if they did...

[sarah-orange.livejournal.com]

nope - I think the wii and the 360 were next on the list but they probably heard al moving about

[ulfilias.livejournal.com]

Arse....*BIG HUGS*

Its always aweful when something like this happens, no matter what they take or not....its the invasion of your safe space that jars the most....London 3 times in 5 years was grim.

[http://users.livejournal.com/_pyromancer_/]

Bastards. "May they get what they truly deserve".

At least nothing irriplaceable taken, and hopefully you'll be able to get an even nicer new flatscreen with the insurance money.

Does the living room door lock? Possibly think "layered security", when leaving the l/r, lock the door from the hallway side (and leave the key in the lock, turned through 90 degrees), so that even if someone does get in through a window they can only get back out the same way - makes it hard to nick large things like TVs.

(*HUGS*)

[sarah-orange.livejournal.com]

a simpler but similar solution is to not have keys round as you need keys to open the front door...

we have learned!

[blondelass.livejournal.com]

I always take my keys & bag upstairs with me. I've heard of people having keys pinched with a bit of wire via the letterbox, even when they're half turned.

[bikerfaerie.livejournal.com]

I always have my keys in the front door in case of fire, wouldn't like to think I couldn't get out.

[tonyyoung.livejournal.com]

sorry to hear i have been robbed before and its not fun..but it definitely gives you the wake up call for more security

[smoke-rising.livejournal.com]

That's awful. I'm very pleased nobody was hurt, that's the main thing.

Hope all insurance stuff gets sorted with minimum stress. xx

[purplefreakgirl.livejournal.com]

As said to El Fuzzy, Bastards!!! Its a horrible feeling but at least it was just stuff and nothing that important to you all. Fingers crossed they catch the gits and chop their hands off!

[redjel.livejournal.com]

oh no! How dreadful! Do you have insurance?

I was burgled when I lived in Manchester, and I thought nothing would ever come of it but they left their prints on the window climbing in and the police caught them and they were prosecuted. Fingers crossed for a good outcome for you!

[emma-emily.livejournal.com]

*hugs* Well done you for not freaking out (not sure i would be the same!).

xx

[bikerfaerie.livejournal.com]

That's really crappy. *hugs*

[defiance23.livejournal.com]

Bastards, glad that the po-po and the insurance have been helpful though. Hope that they catch 'em and that you get your stuff replaced.
xx

[pyropaws.livejournal.com]

Gah, rotten scum :S Can't believe they had the gall to do it while you were all in.

Glad to hear your landlords are getting all your locks sorted and hope that you get your things replaced without too much hassle *hugs*

[miss-behave.livejournal.com]

Bastards!

[big-daz.livejournal.com]

One way of deterring burglars is wiring the door handle to the mains. Which will learn 'em.

Unfortunately, if they come in through the window it rather makes that idea redundant..

[sarah-orange.livejournal.com]

am considering greasing up the window frame to at least make it unpleasant :)