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ajm200

Had a unwelcome visitor in the garden over the weekend

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We've had people wandering around our garden at night over the past year or so - it's a bit worrying but normally they don't do any damage just use it as a cut-through despite 6ft fences but this weekend was different...

 

It looks like they came over the fence by the carpark and ended up in my veggie patch which is fenced off with poultry netting. They must have got tangled in the netting because it has been shredded with a penknife or similar. They have smashed several plants and tipped over pots in the greenhouse - I can only assume that this was done for 'fun' :evil:

 

The house and garage are very secure so luckily we didn't have a break-in but I do wonder how long our luck will hold out with people prowling in the garden several times a year.

 

I'm glad we didn't hear them and decide to challenge them as they must have been carrying a knife...

 

Why can't people respect other people and their property.. what makes them think that it is ok to tresspass on other peoples property and cause damage just for kicks.... (sorry rant over I just needed to let off steam - hope you don't mind - :oops:)

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I would also put a PIR sensor floodlight up so that they trigger it and hopefully panic and don't come in again.

 

I really empathise - my parents had this problem years ago when I was a child - badger baiters :evil: kept coming into our garden as they thought some of the warrens etc were badger burrows. We caught them one day and they just quite cooly sauntered down the garden, leaving their dog in the hole (who we rescued)

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That is so infuriating.... CCTV cameras, even dummy ones, might be a good idea as other people suggested, or some kind of alarm... but I guess it all depends on how worried the intruders are about getting caught...

 

Some neighbours in our previous house had trouble with drunk students trespassing in their garden to play on the trampoline, damaging plants and trees in the process of scrambling over the walls...

 

It goes beyond my understanding... People actively looking to cause worries and trouble to others in their own home/garden...

 

Have you ever had a chat with anyone at the police station and see if they have any advice?

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:x we have a similar problem, I did have a green house at the side of my house but they pushed the back out to take short cuts through my garden, the greenhouse fell down and I now have a gravel pathe & security light at the side of the house, at least if they come through now here is no excuse for wrecking my garden, still drives me mad .
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We are at the end of a close on a modern estate with a busy main road at the back of the garden. There is a very steep bank from our garden to the main road so our garden isn't an obvious cut through.

 

They seem to come in over the fence by the car park which is not overlooked at all, head across the garden which involves crossing the back of the house and then climb over the fence to the left of our property (in full view of our patio door) into our neighbours garden. We know that they go out that way as they move our patio furniture over to the fence to get a leg up.

 

I think they are looking for open windows and doors to get access to the houses as the backs of our properties are not overlooked at all, but I'd rather convince myself that they are just cutting through otherwise I wouldn't sleep at night

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we back onto a main road and we get drunks going past in the middle of the night making a noise and breaking the traffic bollards and the traffic lights but fortunately our garden is not a eay to anywhere so we have not had anyone in the garden.

 

We did have a nearly full bottle of iron bru thrown into the garden vary hard one day last summer when my YD was playing outside and it nearly hit her and she was covered her in sticky liquid I am glad that is all it was :x

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maplin have some cctv cameras in the sale at the moment. you can buy them online but the stores are very helpful. if they are regular visitors you can collect evidence for a asbo.

we had a problem with some children when we lived in the city. one of the childrens parents called the police and said we were filming their children, but we were ok as it was only activated when the children we in our garden and the police woman knew i was a teacher as she had been to see me before when i witnessed an asault. she said to try and get as much evidence as possible. we planned on selling our house in the future and you have to declare that kind of action so we didnt bother but the camera did work as a deterent. the police officer made it clear to the childrens parents that it was there for a deterent and to use as evidence. they were a family removed from a council estate because of the trouble they caused and dumped in a rented house in a nice area. i made the mistake of telling them off for scratching my car and my garden became a target.

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Good grief....what a worry.

 

Can you speak to the owner of the car park?

 

What sort of a car park is it?

 

Maybe they have CCTV.

 

I'd be inclined to have a word with the police. People wandering around the streets carrying knives are of great concern.

 

Am glad you are OK.

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If that's Omlet netting you've got, then I'd advise wiring it up to a battery - you need to put up warning signs, but a good zap will really hack them off. Anti-vandal paint along the otp of the fence will cover them in gunk when they vault over, and a good PIR light will sort them out - you can get really good solar powered ones now, so you could mount it anywhere.

 

It's so unnecessary for them to be coming through your garden and it's illegal too. make sure that you contact your local beat officers at your station each time it happens. I know it's tedious, but if they see reports coming up frequently then they will do something about it.

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I'd love to electrify the omlet netting to keep the chickens safe during the day but we have a 16 month old who I couldn't trust to stay away from it.

 

My husband has agreed to get two big security lights fitted that will cover the whole garden and hopefully put them off and he's even considering getting a dog

 

I've reported similar incidents to the police before with little joy and have been told in the past that 'it's not like they are trying to get into the house' when the prowlers had tried the back door handle but luckily the door was locked.

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You might want to get your local criem prevention officer round for a chat about home secuirty - it's free and they ill rpeort back about your problems to the beat officers, especially if you emphasis how you're now 'vulnerable' in your own house with a smallster :wink:

 

The lights are a great idea, just make sure that they don't shine into any one else's garden or you'll have another problem :lol:

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That's awful :(:(

 

As Clare said, I would get the CP officer round to give some advice. I would also report every incident to the Police and keep a log so they can see that it isn't a one off.

 

Go for big lights, spikes on the fence (remember to put up a notice re the spikes otherwise you can get into trouble ......... of course the sign could be obscured by a quick growing shrub :wink: ) very large woofy dog and a cctv camera even if it's a fake.

 

It's a shame that we have to do this just to stop people doing something that they shouldn't be doing in the first place :evil::evil::evil:

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Prikka Strip is good. We have it on a vulnerable area at work.

 

Tempting though razor wire is, if the little darlings injure themselves, it would be you that would be in trouble. The elfnsafety lot would be jumping up and down with glee.

 

Why not smear chicken poo on top of your fence? :lol:

 

If they get their hoodies dirty, that might make them think twice.

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I think that we live in a silly mixed up world where we are not allowed to protect our property (and our mental well-being) by whatever means necessary.

 

Personally, I wouldn't waste the cost of a phone call if one of these low life scum bags was injured on the razor wire, glass or anything else that I think that you should be allowed to put up if you have the need to.

 

I know that it won't be a popular view but I think that when someone crosses that line and comes onto your property, they deserve everything they get, whatever it is.

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