Mercedes55 Posted May 6, 2011 Share Posted May 6, 2011 So sorry to hear about you being burgled, what a nightmare. I always worry about being burgled as most of our neighbours have at some time been burgled over the years, usually in the middle of the day too! We keep our car keys in a drawer in the dining room, so hopefully if anyone did break into our house they wouldn't be able to find them too easily. I have heard about those uPVC doors being easy to break into, yet you always assume they are very secure. We used to have one till last year when we managed to lock ourselves out and OH used his shoulder to force the door open and it was so easy for him that we realised how easy it would be for a burglar. We have also got 3 lights at the front of our house that are those dusk till dawn lights, so our drive is always well lit, but I really think if they are after something they will usually find a way. Stealing cars to order seems to be very common these days Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
freddie Posted May 6, 2011 Share Posted May 6, 2011 been burgled twice(not here) and it's the invasion that's most horrible. How dare these scum. Hope you all are ok in a few days, the inconvenience is a real pain, but you're all safe and well, which is the main thing. Is there anything in the car that could cause problems/ ie store cards pulled out of bulging purse etc. we all do these daft things(well, i do) good luck with it all. Hugs from here Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Margaret Posted May 6, 2011 Share Posted May 6, 2011 Rachel, Just read your post, so sorry to hear what has happened to you both. Thank goodness you are safe and all personal belongings ok, Hope the Police find your car but even if they dont as long as you and yours, and house are secure, thats all that matters. Hope you have a few glasses of wine tonight and manage to sleep ok. Hugs XX Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gertie Posted May 6, 2011 Share Posted May 6, 2011 So sorry to hear you were burgled. We were as well a couple of years ago. Check things like documents - passport, driving license, phone chargers etc are still there. It was a week before we noticed certain things were missing, they were professional. Good luck with all the sorting out. I hope you don't feel too invaded. Although inconvenienced because they took all laptops, cameras, documents, they didn't harm us or our pets or take personal stuff so I still felt fortunate despite it all! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JillM Posted May 6, 2011 Share Posted May 6, 2011 Everyone else has already said it all... I hope it doesnt take too long before you can put it behind you and relax again. Best wishes! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Dogmother Posted May 7, 2011 Share Posted May 7, 2011 I have a safe for essential documents, cards and jewellery - only £30something form B&Q Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Olly Posted May 7, 2011 Share Posted May 7, 2011 A great idea, Claret ... as long as it's secured in place. My neighbours had a safe, in which they kept all the wife's traditional wedding jewellery (her family is from India). It was not bolted down, and the burglars just took the whole safe. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Dogmother Posted May 7, 2011 Share Posted May 7, 2011 Mine is bolted to the floorboards Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
majuka Posted May 7, 2011 Share Posted May 7, 2011 I have a safe for essential documents, cards and jewellery - only £30something form B&Q Same here, it wouldn't stop a safe cracker I doubt but would stop the opportunistic thieving scum Ours is bolted to an exterior wall. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jlo Posted May 7, 2011 Share Posted May 7, 2011 Really sorry to hear this. The sense of invasion when someone does this is just awful. The rotten scum who do this sort of thing make me so angry. I hope that things get sorted soon! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sadietoo Posted May 8, 2011 Share Posted May 8, 2011 We were burgled some years ago, they got in through a slightly open quarterlight window. They got out easily because, although the patio doors were locked and fitted with extra locks, the keys were left in situ. We hadn't tought about the need to make it harder for burglars to get out. Since then, we always double lock everything. No keys are left anywhere near any door, we have hooks (in an odd place) in the kitchen where the car and door keys are stored so that we can find them easily in the event of a fire. . I am so sorry to hear you have been burgled. and obviously as it has happened to you already you are more focussed on it, but personally I would be more worried about the risk of a fire, and getting out of the house safely, without having to go and find the keys first. We had an ongoing fight with my late MIL who was so worried about a burglary it was like fort knox trying to get in and out of the house....what were we supposed to do in the event of her having a fall too? Also presumably once the burglar is inside your house, he could find the keys too and still let himself out? Edited to add....I feel fairly confident that no burglar will get into our house....since having chickens we have fox proofed absolutely everything, and only the most determined burglar could gain access to our garden Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Dogmother Posted May 8, 2011 Share Posted May 8, 2011 Sadie, there must be some confusion the general idea, and police advice, is not that you hide the keys so that they are hard for you to find, but that they are not stored near to the door so that they can easily be hooked through the letterbox or cat flap. All my doors are double-locked at night with the keys removed from the door and stored nearby. When I go away however, they are all stored in the key safe, which itself is locked. If they don't have an easy exit, burglars tend not to linger Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Old Speckled Hen Posted May 9, 2011 Share Posted May 9, 2011 All my doors are double-locked at night with the keys removed from the door and stored nearby. My mum does that and I have nightmares about it ever since she double locked my doors when she was staying with me and I needed to get out RIGHT NOW!! through one of them. I couldn't find where she had put the key and I gave her a right ear bashing I leave mine in the locks but there is no way anybody can fish them out........what if there was a fire and you were trying to get out through smoke? My surgery alarm went off at 3 am once. I ran the 100 metres in record time armed with a baseball bat. Heaven knows what I would have done confronted by anybody......... Hope you're OK MummyHen...... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Dogmother Posted May 9, 2011 Share Posted May 9, 2011 I always know where each key is, so does Rosie, they are near the doors but not obvious to anyone who doesn't know. Likewise the keys to the window restrictors. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Egluntyne Posted May 9, 2011 Share Posted May 9, 2011 It isn't a good idea to be locked in at night (or any time for that matter) with locks that need to be unlocked with keys. In the heat of the moment (no pun intended) if there was a a fire, folk may find themselves trapped if the key isn't where they expected it to be. Best to be locked in with slide-able bolts which can be released quickly. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sparkysmum Posted May 9, 2011 Share Posted May 9, 2011 Oh Mummyhen I'm sorry & shocked to hear this. I cannot begin to imagine how you are feeling. To have your car stolen is in itself dreadful, but to think the thieves broke into your house while you were sleeping is dreadful. You have been so brave. Take care Alli xx Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
craftyhunnypie Posted May 11, 2011 Share Posted May 11, 2011 Oh mummyhen I'm so sorry to hear this. You are so brave indeed! It is horrid. I know because the same once happened to us whilst sleeping. They didn't take cars, but all our valuables & sentimental things of value. Sentimental things can't be replaced. I was more concerned that someone had been in our house whilst we slept right through it all. You must feel like I did - very edgey & untrusting of everyone you meet. I still sleep with a small light on & hammer by my bed ( sorry mods). We also now have CCTV & much better locks. Handbags & keys are well hidden at night. I hope you are feeling better soon. Emma.x Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Plum Posted May 11, 2011 Share Posted May 11, 2011 Hugs Mummyhen you must have felt so vulnerable. I do hope you are able to feel safe at home again. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MummyHen Posted May 11, 2011 Author Share Posted May 11, 2011 Thank you all for your kind words - it really does help Well - the car is still missing; I've given up any hope of it being found. We have had the interview with the insurance co - we await the engineers department to either visit (not sure what they want to see; the car is not here) or give us a call to disuss the condition of the car so they can work out the value. I hope that it'll get resolved soon. We now have new keys for the fiat - so at least we can get around with out having to borrow our sons car - that was fun NOT Still feel a bit odd about the whole thing - hubby is now set on moving (he's wanted to for some years but it was me that didn't) Once again thanks to you all Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MummyHen Posted May 19, 2011 Author Share Posted May 19, 2011 Update on the burglary Had a phone call yesterday, just after lunch. That went like this Mrs ‘MummyHen’ Yes PC Plod Suffolk Police OMG Its not bad news – don’t worry You’ve found my car Yes It’s in a container at the port Yep I just knew it was in a container Well, yes the Suffolk police have found the car in a container at the port of Felixstowe. The number plates have been changed but our private plate plates are in the boot. Most things seem to be there except the sat nav, the car phone and an ipod. Hubbys coat, sunglasses, reading glasses, CDs etc all there. The police wont release the car until mid next week after they have done there investigations. New keys have to be ordered as these are missing but the police and the insurance co will sort that out. The police say the car looks in perfect condition – well it was obviously on it way out of the country to be sold so it wasn’t in the thieves’ interest to trash it. The police found our car and another in the same container, he also found another four on Monday. The copper is based at the port due to high number of cars leaving this way. To say I’m happy is an understatement Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ain't Nobody Here Posted May 19, 2011 Share Posted May 19, 2011 How fantastic . How on earth did you know ? Don't suppose they mentioned finding the creeps who took it? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Purplemaniacs Posted May 19, 2011 Share Posted May 19, 2011 That's good news, I hope it is in good condition when you get it back. Chrissie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MummyHen Posted May 19, 2011 Author Share Posted May 19, 2011 Its just brilliant news After talking to the police, the insurance, the engineers (loss adjuster) it would seem that stealing cars to order & shipping them out, is on the up especially for new 4x4 cars. Ours wasn't new but was in immaculate condition and with a private plate disguised its real age. It would seem that its in the same condition as before - but we won't know for sure until we get to see it next week. It will be forensically checked over and then a VW dealer will check it over, it'll be valetted and we can get it back Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chucky Mama Posted May 19, 2011 Share Posted May 19, 2011 Wow, well done to our police etc I hope that you can get your lives back to normal soon. What a huge amount of for you Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Dogmother Posted May 19, 2011 Share Posted May 19, 2011 That's great news I don't think I mentioned, but my sister had their top of the range 4x4 stolen a couple of years back, they were in the house, keys taken form the house and car driven away. Thankfully it had a tracker fitted and was found parked up in a secluded field while the thieves waited to see if it would be tracked. It was stolen to order. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
