Clarebabes

Got woken up at 4.15am this morning by some little thieving gits trying to get the keys out of my front door in order to nick my car - AGAIN.

After they were successful last time, we have re-thought our security and now have bolts on the door, security chain etc. They were still trying to lift the keys with a cost hanger or similar even though they would never have been able to get in.

When they saw that I'd spotted them, they casually walked to a dark coloured Ford Focus and drove off. Called the police immediately and they were searching the area 15 minutes later arriving with me at 5am.

They thieves were white, youngish and there was 3 or 4 of them. They were dressed all in black with black woolly hats. I would not recognise them again, even though 2 of them looked directly at me.

Makes me shudder to think what would have happened if they had got in! The keys to my car were upstairs with me!

Makes me sick, these people should be severely punished!

Buzzer

Whereabouts are you from Clare?

Sorry to hear this *AGAIN* Isnt it about time you wired the car upto the 240v supply

Either that or rig up automated pepper spray to your letter box

CraigH

shame guns aren't legal

Clarebabes

We're in Northampton - Westside!

I wouldn't have been able to shoot them anyway - I was too bleary eyed........

Redkop

Get a big dog Clare... our postman is very wary of putting things through our letterbox

Sorry to hear about it

CraigH

can you do something with your letterbox? Before you go to bed you could put something behind it so it can't be opened, ie, a metal plate that locks into lugs or something?

Failing that, you can get quite cheap "CCtv" packages (more a cross between bullet cams and webcams) nowadays that plug into your pc and can be ir activated. Records all footage to your hdd and you can get nighttime versions.

Clarebabes

We're going to get the security light we've got fixed and I mat be accused of being a granny, but I think a letter box basket thingy would deter little hands through the letterbox.

I was thinking about CCTV too. Can get quite good little systems for under £100. Thing is, most people don't spend money on security until it's too late.

FFS, I don't live in a grotty area! Why should I live in fear!?

Buzzer

..................... because the theiving little ******* have nicked all the stuff from where they live and now have moved on to respectable areas such as yours

astraboy

Every night, fit a cage within your letterbox. Use a a car stereo cage if you have one, but its not essential. The important thing is to attach razor blades to the inside of the cage to discourage people from sticking their hands in. Should make the toerags think twice, plus the screaming will double up as a nice burglar alarm and the blood can provide a nice DNA match.
Astraboy Security solutions, applying middle age barbarism to 21st century crime problems.
astraboy.

Clarebabes

Astraboy....

Are you sure I won't get in trouble myself???

Just like to say the plod that came round were very nice. When they'd finished interviewing me, another car came round and did a little sweep of our area. He said they were going to pay me some attention which was nice.

Scooby Sep

why not leave ure keys in ure room with u and not near the door? i took keys to a merc thru a letter box when my next door neighbour got locked out. even i didnt know it wud be that easy. leave em on ure bedside table and get a cctv eye. bout inch by inch, sorry to hear bout ure troubles aint funny when ******* do that

Clarebabes

I do go to bed with my keys and hide them in a special place

They would have only got the front door keys anyway and wouldn't have been able to get in due to the bolts and security chain - unless they took the door off its hinges of course!

CraigH

Astraboys suggestion sounds good - no reason why you'd get in trouble - it would just be a place for you to store razors blades etc. If you do that, wipe the blades in your cat litter for a bit - should make the cuts a little more pleasant

Paulo P

iTrader: (42)

FPMSL Good advice as ever mate

fast bloke

get your letterbox sharpened at the bottow - thievin fingers will be able to push through, but they will have to take them home in a lunchbox

Paulo P

iTrader: (42)

Unbelievable So I guess that nothing came of you investigations before

What I can't understand is that the car (don't take offence here!) Is only a renault clio cup and not something fruity like an impreza/evo/focus RS/Porsche etc. I can't see why they are that desirable to steal Very very nice cars but why steal one?

I must be missing something

Brendan Hughes

Don't think your postie will thank you for boobytrapping your letterbox. Fixing your security light sounds like a better option.

Clarebabes

They are desirable though, especially when you are in your early 20s. Perhaps a young guy driving one of these would be less likely to raise attention from the old bill than a little git in an Evo?

I love my car dearly and even though it is only a car, my insurance company would have a fit! At least last time they left us with 2 cars still, but this time I think they were after the Astra as well!

Anyway, they steal them to order. This was not a couple of lads out to nick a car to have a laugh in. They knew what they wanted. Like last time, my car was offered to a police informant within 8 hours of being nicked.

Paulo P

iTrader: (42)

I'm not that up on these things but that makes sense that they are stolen to order but begs the question why?... do they break them? Do they ship them abroad?

If it was me in your position then I think I'd find it hard to sleep now Can't you have anything nice these days? I had a car stolen years ago and another broken into and it made me feel sick

Glad you saw where I was coming from

Scooby Sep

they steal the car. de plate it then skim the head til the engine number comes off then they re badge it like a clone of another clio then sell it on for half price so u have two clios with the same badges and vin numbers etc,

Clarebabes

I don't think you are in the "Imprezas are THE fastest and most desirable cars in the world EVER and no one in their right mind would ever steal anything else" brigade......

Brendan, I quite like my postie too

CraigH

Another idea for modding your post box.....fishing hooks or anything with an arrow head pattern, so it will go in nice and easy, coming out will be another matter. Or a guillotine? Not sure if you'd get in trouble for that though
Or a chemical that reacts with water - so toerag gets this substance on his fingers, goes home to wash it off, it reacts explosively with water and blows his fingers off.

Nicci

Not again.

I thought the spate of local thefts had died down.

I am glad you have got things more secure Clare.

I hope that was the final visit you get.

Paulo P

iTrader: (42)

Very true

Nick

Hi Clare

We got an attempted break-in one afternoon.
If you haven't got any security lights yet, get them fitted asap. Get good ones & remember that the best position for the light is usually not the best place for the detector. It's a good idea to get a security company to fit them as they will be able to recommend the best place(s) for them. I have 4 lights in total with several detectors that trigger in various places. Remember to set the light to stay on for around 15 mins.

Also look at CCTV, I bought a good semi-pro system that cost around £1000 or so with 4 tiny colour cameras & a Quad display monitor. It also has a black box which can sound an alarm if a section "drawn" on a camera picture is crossed. Since I've had CCTV I've felt much safer as no-one can go anywhere near the house without us knowing about it.

(Ignore the pub advice about razor blades - it's a good way to get a criminal record for yourself!)

Scoob99

iTrader: (1)

Clarebabes, So sorry to hear this, if you can fit the razor blade on your letter box, go ahaead and do it, BUT, take it off before the postie comes, being a postie myself, I would not be to happy to lose a finger or two (although these little bastids need it doing to them), but Royal Mail would come down on you like a ton of bricks, BTW astraboy great idea
Cheers
Colin

MJW

Booby trapping your letterbox may give you a bit of satisfaction but the easiest way to deter the thieves is *not* to have any keys hanging out the door lock. Just take them out and leave them somewhere out of sight. If they can't see the possibility of a way in, they'll just move on to the next poor sucker.

Clarebabes

I agree, I would not normally have keys in the door, just so happened that they were there last night!

It's like being a prisoner in your own home these days!

Floyd

iTrader: (9)

Clare didn't leave her keys on sight. The worrying thing is that they break in to find them. I like the idea of a dummy set of keys with a keyfob that activates an alarm instead, so the crims set off a siren when trying to get in the car

F