4m x 3m Omlet pen, cube, new auto door still boxed and coop light

[Snowy]

If you don't, then please think twice! Our family has had a very nasty wake up call!

Last night my sister in law and her family (hubby, teenage daughter and daughters boyfriend) were sat watching TV, about 11pm, when 4 men in balaclavas dashed into their house, threatened them and made them hand over all their keys. They then ran off, taking sister in law's car on their way The family has assumed it was safe to leave the front door unlocked because they were all in. Naturally they are all very shaken up (please send some positive vibes and prayers their way). I'd hate to see anyone else caught out like this. They live near Bolton.

[chick wiggle]

OMG! How terrifying! Poor things, gosh I really hope they are ok, what a wake up call!

I always have the front door locked but not the back, but now, well I'll be thinking again.

Give them our very best wishes *hugs*

[Space Chick]

That is awful

 

Sending positive thoughts and prayers to your sister in law and her family.

[Redwing]

Oh my goodness what a terrible ordeal, I hope they bounce back ok from that

 

We dont lock our door no, really we should know better - in Bristol we kept the door locked all the time as it was direct on to the pavement and a surprising amount of people used to try the door handles in the evening

[Couperwife]

oh my word I hope they are ok

 

I hope they dont suffer too much from it

 

cathy

x

[FORENSICA]

Scary!!! We lock for the night but never when we are at home. Perhaps we should reconsider.

 

Poor your family. Hope they will get over it soon, however as I know myself I would have nightmares for months to come and probably considering getting an Alsatian

[Christian]

Sorry and shocked to hear that Snowy

 

Hope they are all ok.

[Ain't Nobody Here]

That's terrible . How frightening for them all . I'm glad it was just a car that was taken.

[freespiritbutterfly]

Poor things, what a terrible thing to happen. Positive virbes are being sent as i type their way.

[Purplemaniacs]

How awful for them, I sometimes lock the door when I am on my own, perhaps I should more often.

 

Best wishes to your sister in law and her family.

 

Chrissie

[Plum]

How awful, hope they are able to get over it in time. Thanks for the warning.

[redhotchick]

Snowy what a terrible thing to happen. I'm one of those people who do lock my doors, and usually check them before I go to bed.

What have the police said about this? Have there been similar occurrences?

My thoughts are with your SIL and family.

I'll be warning others about this too.

[poachedegg]

Hope your family are getting over their awful shock.

[Chickvic]

How awful I hope the're all ok Yes I do lock my doors when I'm in, admittedly not necessarily because of the threat of someone coming in but because my DS used to try and escape and we've never got out of the habit.

[Lesley]

What a terrible ordeal for them

 

We do lock our doors as we have no neighbours, but sometimes Carl will be out with the animals and I will be inside .......back door unlocked.

[Egluntyne]

Crikey, I'm sorry to hear it.

[bettyhen]

How terrible for your poor family

I`ve just been and locked our door, it`s normally open during the day, and has been this evening as we`re waiting for ES to come home from a party.

I hope they manage to put their ordeal behind them, with time.

 

Sue x

[Lewis]

We do lock the door most of the time, but the back door is sometimes open because there are always chickens on the step

 

I know someone that the same thing happened a few years ago. The dad was asleep in the front room watching tele with the kids asleep upstairs, a few of them went in, one watched the dad, the others took things then the left. They only realised when the mom had got home! It shocked a few people at the time.

[Olly]

How awful for your family, Snowy, I do hope they get over this but it's bound to leave them feeling very uneasy.

 

My front door only opens with a key, so it's always locked, but the back door is usually locked after dark. That said, it's open now as I'm upstairs in the study, because I'm trying to persuade the cat to go out more and she hasn't got the hang of the cat-flap yet - it's behind a bolted gate though.

 

I've been burgled a couple of times, including someone coming in downstairs while I was asleep upstairs (thankfully) and it made me very wary, but I've probably relaxed a bit since I moved here. Thanks for the warning.

[Groovychook]

What a terrifying experience for your family. I hope they're all feeling okay but I should imagine it will take a long time for them to feel comfortable about their security again...

 

I must admit that we are very lax about locking our doors- whether we're in during the evening or spending the day at the bottom of the garden... We live in a quiet hamlet, at the end of a track and it's just something that we don't really consider. If OH is out for the evening, I do lock the doors and draw the curtains too if it's dark. It's made me think though ....

 

Best wishes to your family...

[Jules.]

Snowy I'm sorry to read this

 

We always have our doors locked, with the key removed as well so it can't be grabbed through the letter box.

 

Out back patio doors are designed so they can be locked open with about a 10cm gap, to let air in. I very often leave this door like that, but move the key well away from where it could be grabbed.

[Blackrocksrock]

Oh how awful is this - not safe in our own homes - we tend to lock the front purely as if we are out the back we cannot hear anyone in the house, but cats are out and in so tend to forget about the back door - will be more vigilent from now.

[SarahJo]

What a totally nasty thing to happen - its seems there is more desperation to get money by any means now, that theives and hoodlums are being so brazen .

 

My eldest Bro was burgled at 1am in the morning - young lads stealing cars basically. The dog barked a couple of times - then barked again - only on the 2nd did he investigate. By then they had nicked the car - and drove the wrong way down the A1 in Stevenage, losing control and writing off the car after several rolls

 

Ironic thing is - the dog barking was thought to be "oh he's heard a cat in the garden", especially as he did not make a big deal of it - he would have done if they had gone into the kitchen. He had been burgled years ago - a young girl shoved her little brother through a tiny bathroom window

 

I usually have the patio door open - especially in the summer, but do lock ALL the doors when home alone with the kids. This kind of crime really makes me angry though - what right does anyone have to help themselves to your hard earned possesions, let alone with added violence and threat

 

Best wishes to you and yours Snowy

[Yorkshire Pudding]

That's awful, I hope they are feeling less shell-shocked soon.

 

I do keep doors locked most of the time, except the patio doors behind a bolted gate when it's hot outside - though the kids are less vigilant and have been known to walk out leaving me upstairs and all doors and windows wide open.

 

We are also careful not to leave keys where they can be seen, let alone reached from a window or letterbox - a gang went around the area a few years back using a long wire hook to pick them off hall tables and the like. They made off with keys and cars, sometimes the owners didn't know until the next morning when they found car missing and keys gone, so had to change all locks immediately.

[craftyhunnypie]

I keep my doors locked at all times. I put bolts on too when I'm inside & also a chain. We also have a camera up. You just can't be too careful can you? I'm so sorry to hear of your family's incident - absolutely terrifying! I hope for all their sakes they are having some sort of counselling. You don't get over something like that so easy.

 

Emma.x