Intruder in our house. Very strange scenario....
16 December 2012, 09:46 PM
#1
Intruder in our house. Very strange scenario....
Well my family and I can't quite figure this one out and now we are pretty afraid. We live in a big farmhouse out in the countryside, with flood lights and fully working CCTV all over our farm.
My Father was the only person in the house (my Mother was out and I was on my way back home). Basically, Dad sitting in his office with the door slight ajar and he heard something in our kitchen. He went over to his door and as soon as he grabbed the handle, this man grabbed the office door handle at the same time and tried to push in. Obviously my Father yelled in fright and he said there was about 10 seconds of pulling and pushing on the office door and then it stopped. He peered round the door and the man said "I'm here to get you" and then ran out through the kitchen back door. Apparently he was wearing gloves and some sort of face covering scarf. My Dad then scrambled for a couple of minutes to open up the gun safe and then went outside with the rifle and torch but couldn't see anything, so he fired a shot into the air.
We have checked all CCTV footage and there is no sign of any cars, no flood lights coming on... All very strange. We think he must have come across the fields, and then ran back over the fields or something, but it all seems odd. My Father rang our closest neighbour 10mins after it all happened and he drove down the country lanes but no car waiting or anything.
Usually we are all in the house but it just happened to be just my Father here. The house was fully lit, lots of room lights on so this man would have probably come in even if we were all here anyway. Also we don't have any enemies lol. Just goes to show that literally anything can happen these days. We aren't sure whether he was an opportunist and got scared off, or wanted to scare someone/us? But who would come all that way over the fields? Also no wet or muddy footprints either. Needless to say, my Dad is sleeping with the rifle tonight.
EDIT: 3 men seen running away from our property caught on CCTV at 18:40. Very scary to see this. The man that entered our house and approached my Dad was at 19:45. So we do not know if there was a 4th who stayed behind, or if another ran back over the fields after they had all left at 18:40? We do not know how they got to our farm because they did not set off any flood lights/CCTV so we think they must have come over the fields?
My Father was the only person in the house (my Mother was out and I was on my way back home). Basically, Dad sitting in his office with the door slight ajar and he heard something in our kitchen. He went over to his door and as soon as he grabbed the handle, this man grabbed the office door handle at the same time and tried to push in. Obviously my Father yelled in fright and he said there was about 10 seconds of pulling and pushing on the office door and then it stopped. He peered round the door and the man said "I'm here to get you" and then ran out through the kitchen back door. Apparently he was wearing gloves and some sort of face covering scarf. My Dad then scrambled for a couple of minutes to open up the gun safe and then went outside with the rifle and torch but couldn't see anything, so he fired a shot into the air.
We have checked all CCTV footage and there is no sign of any cars, no flood lights coming on... All very strange. We think he must have come across the fields, and then ran back over the fields or something, but it all seems odd. My Father rang our closest neighbour 10mins after it all happened and he drove down the country lanes but no car waiting or anything.
Usually we are all in the house but it just happened to be just my Father here. The house was fully lit, lots of room lights on so this man would have probably come in even if we were all here anyway. Also we don't have any enemies lol. Just goes to show that literally anything can happen these days. We aren't sure whether he was an opportunist and got scared off, or wanted to scare someone/us? But who would come all that way over the fields? Also no wet or muddy footprints either. Needless to say, my Dad is sleeping with the rifle tonight.
EDIT: 3 men seen running away from our property caught on CCTV at 18:40. Very scary to see this. The man that entered our house and approached my Dad was at 19:45. So we do not know if there was a 4th who stayed behind, or if another ran back over the fields after they had all left at 18:40? We do not know how they got to our farm because they did not set off any flood lights/CCTV so we think they must have come over the fields?
Last edited by LSherratt; 16 December 2012 at 11:33 PM.
16 December 2012, 10:30 PM
#7
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From your description you need to sort out your security if someone can approach your property without triggering a floodlight or being seen on camera.
Either that or lock up the alcohol until you can be there.
Hope your Father's not too traumatised.
Just to add - CCTV and floodlights are all well and good if you see either from inside the property. As an addition to the 2 I have an audible noise or pre-recorded message control panel letting me know exactly what location (zone) the lights are triggered should someone attempt to enter the grounds. The tones are all different too which helps with identifying odd angles of approach, (like the field). Then there's the dog....
Either that or lock up the alcohol until you can be there.
Hope your Father's not too traumatised.
Just to add - CCTV and floodlights are all well and good if you see either from inside the property. As an addition to the 2 I have an audible noise or pre-recorded message control panel letting me know exactly what location (zone) the lights are triggered should someone attempt to enter the grounds. The tones are all different too which helps with identifying odd angles of approach, (like the field). Then there's the dog....
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16 December 2012, 10:33 PM
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Sounds strange if some one has entered the house with out showing on any cctv or switching any flood lights on would suggest to me hes been there before you had any one round your place acting suspiciously i.e trying to sell some thing or is lost
16 December 2012, 10:38 PM
#10
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From your description you need to sort out your security if someone can approach your property without triggering a floodlight or being seen on camera.
Either that or lock up the alcohol until you can be there.
Hope your Father's not too traumatised.
Just to add - CCTV and floodlights are all well and good if you see either from inside the property. As an addition to the 2 I have an audible noise or pre-recorded message control panel letting me know exactly what location (zone) the lights are triggered should someone attempt to enter the grounds. The tones are all different too which helps with identifying odd angles of approach, (like the field). Then there's the dog....
Either that or lock up the alcohol until you can be there.
Hope your Father's not too traumatised.
Just to add - CCTV and floodlights are all well and good if you see either from inside the property. As an addition to the 2 I have an audible noise or pre-recorded message control panel letting me know exactly what location (zone) the lights are triggered should someone attempt to enter the grounds. The tones are all different too which helps with identifying odd angles of approach, (like the field). Then there's the dog....
Spoon, how have you done this?
Thanks
16 December 2012, 10:49 PM
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Used a Dygizone connected to my floodlights and my cameras, triggered by Opal PIRs. Infrared beams are also available. http://www.gjd.co.uk
My cameras move at something like 120degrees a second should they not be focused on the point of trigger at the time.
My cameras move at something like 120degrees a second should they not be focused on the point of trigger at the time.
16 December 2012, 10:54 PM
#13
We have spent a long time reviewing the CCTV footage and we have captured 3 men triggering a flood light and running away from our property. We can't work out how they got here though, and if there was a 4th man who stayed behind who approached my dad. Very scary to see 3 men on camera and we have reported to the police.
We think there could have been a car waiting up our lane to pick them up, but it still doesn't make a lot of sense.
We think there could have been a car waiting up our lane to pick them up, but it still doesn't make a lot of sense.
Last edited by LSherratt; 16 December 2012 at 11:03 PM.
16 December 2012, 11:09 PM
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We had spent a long time reviewing the CCTV footage and we have captured 3 men triggering a flood light and running away from our property. We can't work out how they got here though, and if there was a 4th man who stayed behind who approached my dad. Very scary to see 3 men on camera and we have reported to the police.
We think there could have been a car waiting up our lane to pick them up, but it still doesn't make a lot of sense.
We think there could have been a car waiting up our lane to pick them up, but it still doesn't make a lot of sense.
Extra money I know but this country isn't going to get any better.
16 December 2012, 11:11 PM
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To be honest it wouldnt matter if it were locked, by the sounds of it they were intent on getting in.
16 December 2012, 11:13 PM
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Small flock of geese will do the trick. dl
Edit to say. Should be gaggle of geese
Edit to say. Should be gaggle of geese
Last edited by David Lock; 17 December 2012 at 11:21 AM.
16 December 2012, 11:15 PM
#23
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It matters an awful lot. Any early warning, in this case noise banging a door in, simply allows for a 999 call and time to arm oneself for an assassination of scum should he gain uninvited entry.
16 December 2012, 11:16 PM
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Did he actually phone the police...?? Might be worth them knowing. And do you have any watch type schemes in your area, like farm watch (don't laugh, those type of things exist)? If there's someone going around your area it might be worth others knowing as well, plus you might find out some info yourself if it happens to someone else!!
But as said above, re-look at your security and keep your door locked, some people are b*****ds!!
But as said above, re-look at your security and keep your door locked, some people are b*****ds!!
16 December 2012, 11:17 PM
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16 December 2012, 11:24 PM
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We have phoned the police and they have come out to have a look but there is only so much they can do. We are a member of the countryside watch and have signs all over the place. We have proper CCTV signs all over the place as well. Our CCTV system is very good, but there's no way you can make out faces of 3 men running away, only lit up by a flood light 10 metres away. We have a camera facing the front of our house but the man came in through the back. To get to the back you have to walk down the lane. This is where we have seen the 3 men running away up the lane, but don't know how they got there. We think over the fields?
16 December 2012, 11:30 PM
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We have phoned the police and they have come out to have a look but there is only so much they can do. We are a member of the countryside watch and have signs all over the place. We have proper CCTV signs all over the place as well. Our CCTV system is very good, but there's no way you can make out faces of 3 men running away, only lit up by a flood light 10 metres away. We have a camera facing the front of our house but the man came in through the back. To get to the back you have to walk down the lane. This is where we have seen the 3 men running away up the lane, but don't know how they got there. We think over the fields?
16 December 2012, 11:35 PM
#30
Yes, it's useless in this situation, but I do not see how any outdoor CCTV could help unless we have new smaller cameras mounted directly above our front and back door... at the end of the day, CCTV isn't going to do anything or stop someone. They are wearing face covering clothes/scarfs so all useless.