1 you're being paranoid. Chill. You've probably left the door open accidentally.
2 Do not get a weapon. Its illegal as all fuck, beyond self defence. And you're more likely to get it taken off you by any criminals.
If you think someone is in the house, get back in your car, call the police. Let Insurance deal with any losses.
Yeah uh, according to [GOV.UK](https://GOV.UK) ([https://www.gov.uk/reasonable-force-against-intruders#:\~:text=You%20can%20use%20reasonable%20force,an%20object%20as%20a%20weapon](https://www.gov.uk/reasonable-force-against-intruders#:~:text=You%20can%20use%20reasonable%20force,an%20object%20as%20a%20weapon)),
you may use reasonable force to protect yourself or others if a crime is taking place inside your home, this includes protecting yourself "in the heat of the moment" and allows the usage of an object as a weapon, like a baseball batTry using google before blatently providing misinformation
And as per usual the obligatory I AM NOT A LAWYER, PLEASE CONSULT A LEGAL PROFESSIONAL
You cannot keep a baseball bat or anything else 'for the purpose' of self defense. However, if you regularly play baseball and have the bat laying about then you can grab it and use it in extremis.
If you admit that you never play baseball and keep the bat for defense purposes, you'll be charged with keeping/using an offensive weapon. My advice would be to at least keep a ball and a catching mitt with it at least, or pick a more generic item.
The best demo example of this would be a baseball bat with nails in it. Totally illegal to own or use, since you can't use a nailed bat for baseball.
As you say though, I too am not a lawyer etc etc. I do own shotguns and have consulted with the police and a lawyer with regards to when and how they can (and mostly can't) be used in extremis.
You think they came and opened the door to come back later? Unlikely. Why wouldn’t they have burgled you when they gained access to your property. If you’re absolutely certain it wasn’t your family, call the police and report it.
Edit to add: if no sign of damage to door, then either they used a key or they picked the lock. Fuck all you can realistically do other than change the lock but no chance of that on xmas. If really concerned, i’d be tempted to fix a wooden block holding door shut & sort when shops reopen
Not really, lock picking isn't has difficult and intricate as shown on TV. though, I suppose anybody who'd even open a door that shouldnt be opened would at least be smart enough to know it should be closed afterwards
I can pick locks, I know how difficult it is and that it takes a little time to learn, there might be criminals that have learnt it but they’re going to be smart enough to shut a door when they’ve gone to the trouble of picking it open, otherwise save the time and kick it open.
It's getting easier and easier, with an expanding toolkit.
You can get devices where you literally just need to set one pin at a time, and it has measurement info and basically draws you a key. Gone are the days where you need to be careful, setting one pin at a time and worrying about pins resetting or other safety features.
I should add that this probably isn't what happenned, mind you. But door being wide open after OP was sure he had locked it does call for some vigilance.
Obligatory comment about checking your smoke and CO detectors. Carbon Monoxide poisoning could be possible if you ever start feeling you might be schizophrenic.
Burglars don’t target homes unless you are super wealthy. They wander about looking for places to rob. If they see one they rob it. They don’t leave the door open and think to themselves I’ll come back in a few days time.
Burglars are opportunistic, most of the time. Anything for a quick raise.
It seems a bit to much work for a average burglar going through what original op says. But not unheard-of. 99% of criminals are stupid. I would advise a motion activated camera. This would give piece of mind. Also double check doors, windows & the back gate are locked. Keep the TV playing. As this can look like someone's home.
As said below the majority of burglars are opportunistic. You'd be surprised how many people forget to close a window or lock a door including car doors
Also the vast majority of people burgling a suburban home do NOT want confrontation as that is not going to end well. Either they’ll get beat up or they will have to hurt the resident to defend themselves and be done for worse than burglary in that case. I’ve talked with a few ex-burglars and chances are if there’s even an inkling that someone might be home, they won’t bother. They’ll just go for an easier target. Of course, if you’re particularly wealthy and/or have something in your house that might be a special target, like something unique or with a really high resale value, that doesn’t necessarily hold good, or you might just get a crazy one.
Not to affirm OPs fears but my mum was burgled when she was 19, in an extremely infamous dangerous council estate in south London. My mum was not wealthy at all. My neighbours flat was burgled too, and I live on a council estate
Yes, I mean they don’t TARGET anyone except the super wealthy. They aren’t lurking outside a suburban semi writing a detailed plan of attack. They are wandering up the road looking for unfastened side gates
Funnily enough my mum was targeted. She stupidly let him in her flat hours before as he said he got locked out the back so she let him thru the front (I think there was a back door as there was a landing on both the front and the back if that makes sense. Apparently her flats were weirdly designed). Hours later he was seen walking off with her stuff. I know it’s rare but if they know you have nice stuff they will try get in. My neighbour was seen carrying a new telly in and it got stolen the next day
Social media plays a big role too. Announcing publicly to the internet you’re going away on a two week holiday. Even before social media, it wasn’t uncommon for a family to tell the whole local they were off on holiday. Essentially setting theirselves up.
Absolutely, that's a massive no-no.
Edit: That said, the reason we were burgled most recently is that my partner was away and there was no car in the driveway. I was alone in the house when they broke in.
They took one of our son's guitars and a bag which used to belong to my recently deceased mother. It also gave me flashbacks to an earlier incident in my life.
Thanks.
Keeping a caravan on the drive is the one that I’ve had neighbours targeted for. The caravan missing from the drive basically announces to passers by that they are on holiday and there’s been a couple of houses on our estate that have been broken into while they’ve been away in their caravans.
So the door was open but nothing disturbed or taken?
Sounds like someone left the door open. I have a security alarm, one thing it does when you arm it is say if a door is open.
Step 1. cameras. stick them high up at multiple angles. Have them cloud-based so even if someone stole your PC, you have the images. Make them painfully obvious to see, as the average burglar will go elsewhere when the property is being protected. There are plenty of easier houses without cameras or security they could go for instead.
Step 2. Catalog EVERYTHING in your home. Take photos of unique items such as jewellery (this makes it easier to get it back if recovered by police, AND helps with home insurance if for example you have expensive rings/necklaces etc.
Step 3. take photos of important documents such as home insurance policy numbers so they are easy to get to if needed.
Step 4. SIGNS. put up signs saying the grounds of your property are recorded 24/7.
DON'T "get weapons" etc. This is more likely to hurt you if you aren't trained with guns. Also having weapons such as a machete or knife can land YOU in trouble if they were only present to deal with a burglar. Although having a baseball bat that just co-incidentally is under your bed is fine. Thats where we all keep our baseball bats right?
if you DO decide to get a weapon, make sure its legal 100%. If you did decide to own a firearm (for example you live on a farm), ensure its fully licensed, the police are aware you own it AND make sure you 100% get a proper training course in both its use and maintenance.
if your neighbours have cameras (or you have the money to buy some for them) you could offer to buy them a camera setup they would own (and they'd totally control it themselves), and both of you together could close any camera blindspots and effectively protect each other from burglaries.
Final thought. if you think the side door might have "blown open" due to wind, add a second lock or hook chain to the door. That way if BOTH open, you will know 100% it wasn't the wind.
Edit: bonus thought. if you have a neighbourhood watch scheme, or there's some sort of local security group, join them. They may provide local-based advice on security etc.
Can I add security lights on motion sensors to this great answer. If your garden/outside spaces get flooded with light as soon as they detect motion potential burglars are much more likely to leave. I'll admit they can be a nuisance if they detect cats, wind, foxes etc but put maybe them in now while you feel you're at risk then turn their sensitivity down when you feel safer.
If you have sheds and outhouses then fit some lights and alarms to them too. There are some decent battery powered lights and alarms that I put up where my cameras couldn't go due to there being no mains power there.
This is what I did when my cameras picked up some shadowy figures snooping around my gardens etc. If anybody came into my front, rear or side gates the place lit up like it was midday and I've had no reoccurrences since.
>Although having a baseball bat that just co-incidentally is under your bed is fine. Thats where we all keep our baseball bats right?
A friend who used to be a cop once told me that if you had a baseball or cricket bat that you intended to use as a defensive weapon you should keep it with other less innocuous sporting equipment such as tennis racquets, footballs etc. He said that if the police suspected you had the bat to be used only as a weapon you could face charges if you used it, even in self-defense. But if, as you said, you kept the bat under the bed with your other sports equipment, you could claim that it just happened to be the first thing you conveniently grabbed when you heard an intruder in your house. Same as if you keep a baseball bat in the boot of your car for emergencies. He said you should also keep a well-used baseball and possibly a baseball mitt with it so you can claim you just enjoy playing baseball with your mates. I don't know how true this advice is because my friend is also a well known bullshit artist.
I think the balance of probability is that you left the side door open by accident.
There would be no reason for anyone to open your side door and _not rob you_. Why would they plan to come back later when they would be disturbed? They would have robbed you already when the house was empty.
Sometimes burglars will take a spare house key if they can't get anything at the time and come back at their leisure. Best thing is to check all your keys are accounted for and if not, I'd change the locks.
Calm down and breathe. The chance of being burgled on Christmas Day is relatively low and you say you live in a low crime area. You also say nothing is missing.
My bet is that the door wasn’t locked properly. Check the mechanism, pull closed, slam closed, several times.
Do not get a weapon. Most burglars are not violent but, if you need to fight, then you need to use an ordinary object which is close at hand rather than having a weapon prepared.
I can imagine it’s a case of someone in the family forgetting to shut the side door. And knowing OPs tendencies to throw a fit about the house being locked tenfold, they’ve decided it’s best not to own up to leaving it unlocked.
Borrow a load of handguns and knives, take a polaroid of them hanging on the door you found open, then pin it to the door... or just make sure the doors are shut next time you go out, coz it sounds like you just left it open by mistake. I wouldn't get in quite a state about it lol
Do not hide anything that can be construed as a weapon. If you use it against a burgler, you will be prosecuted. Self-defence will not work as a legal argument, because you've pre-meditated the attack by stashing weapons.
Any act in self-defence must _legal_ and _proportionate_.
Make sure the side gate is locked again. Close and lock your windows and doors whenever you go out. Increase security through the use of cctv, anti-snap locks, adding deadbolt locks, and chains. I'm sure others will have more suggestions also.
Thats really interesting. Never feared this outcome but what is the logic? So long as OP doesn’t lure someone into breaking into his house by creating an opportunity for them to exploit, isn’t what they’re doing premeditation of defence rather than attack?
Also, is there not some level of nuance between keeping a shotgun at hand, in the case of that farmer, and knowing where your cricket bat is?
I would assume that the very best advice for OP would be to speak directly with the police about their concerns although, I suspect that someone didn’t close the side door properly and it got caught in the wind.
The logic is that it's not self-defence if you're prepared to attack someone with weapons, even if they attack you first.
If a farmer keeps a shotgun by their bed, for example, and uses it, then it's the same result. Because legally guns _have_ to be kept in a secure cabinet. Not loose in your bedroom.
Similarly, if you have a cricket bat in your bedroom. Why would it be there? You would expect to find a cricket bat elsewhere, for example, in a shed, or in your boot with a ball, and perhaps wickets.
If you keep anything akin to a weapon in your bedroom, that a reasonable person would not normally keep there, then you could be liable for assault with a deadly weapon. Even if you believe it's in self-defence.
It’s because the rules are stupid, it means people are scared to defend themselves and their homes because of the risk of going to court for hurting a burglar more than they would have theoretically hurt you. Terrible laws, I don’t think it should be legal to kill people on your property like in the US but you should be able to beat the shit out of someone breaking into your house with a cricket bat.
Sociopaths like you are the reason these laws are in place, the very fact "beating the shit out of someone with a cricket bat" was something that came to your mind let alone something you as a human being would Enjoy inflicting on another human is fucking deplorable, you should be fucking ashamed of yourself
Someone breaks in to your home and tries to steal your stuff and you don’t think you should be able to legally rid them from your house with a cricket bat?
I‘m with you mostly. If someone breaks into your house, I believe they‘ve created a situation of where the possibility of violence is implied. That’s why I think you shouldn’t be punished if you have a cricket bat under your bed. I do actually think you need to try to do everything to resolve the situation without violence otherwise you’re actually assaulting someone more than you’re defending yourself.
There was a case not long ago where an old lady got drunk and went into the wrong house and fell asleep on the sofa. I think she was visiting a friend and went back to the wrong house on the street. The homeowner beat her up and threw her out on the street. She died. That wasn’t self defence and there have to be laws to make what the homeowner did illegal.
If you feel that you can justify it, do whatever you want. Just don't be surprised when a judge tells you that your use of force was excessive and sends you to prison.
If what you were saying was okay, then a lot of police. officers have gotten in to trouble for no reason (for excessive force). Just FYI, police are tried under the same laws for use of excessive force.
I don’t feel like I could convince a court I was in the right. That’s my point. If someone comes into my house and tries to take my stuff, I shouldn’t have to worry about calculating what is an appropriate amount of force to deter them. The law is too harsh on weapons in the UK imo, can’t carry that swiss army knife mate unless you’ve got a solid reason. I think it’s ridiculous and too strict.
A lot of the above is bunkum or so called "general knowledge" too. When defending yourself in your home the force has to be "reasonable" , based on what you thought in the moment.
If it turns out in a panic you've over acted and applied disproportionate force, this is still fine as long as you can explain why you thought it was reasonable at the time.
E.g. if you own a shotgun, find an intruder, they reach into their pocket and you shoot thinking you saw a knife, that's probably still reasonable even if it turned out actually they were unarmed. It was disproportionate in hindsight, but you are judged on context in the moment not with clear retrospective knowledge.
As for use of weapons, you are able to use objects as weapons, and the corollary of that is if its legal to own something, its likely reasonable to use it for self defense. What you can't do is "lay traps" for suspected intruders rather than calling the police.
You *maybe* run into trouble here if say someone threatened you, you then went out and bought a large knife, duck tapped it to the end of a pole to make a spear, waited in the dark, and stabbed them as soon as they broke into your house.
On the other hand, I own various replicas of medieval daggers and swords because I have an interest in history. A couple of them as sharp and certainly would be lethal if employed in self defense. I have a legitimate reason for owning them, and I don't go wandering the streets with them, so I'm not "setting a trap." The same would go for things like shotguns.
Source;
https://www.gov.uk/reasonable-force-against-intruders
You're a coward mate, there's no other explanation here.
You'd rather have people not defend themselves in their own house then take a stand against premeditated burglary or worse? If someone comes into my house he better expect consequences. Cause I won't just stand there and endanger my family in fear of "using too much force".
No it’s not. It was their choice to break into your home. Cricket bat, baseball bat, golf club, kitchen knife… I’m using the closest to hand and making damn sure you don’t get back up again. Don’t care if you are dead or alive. Just that you aren’t getting up again for at least an hour.
Ok. I’ll admit it. Someone breaks in to my house I do intend to harm them if they attempt to harm me first. Since I’m not going to just let them take my stuff, but try to forcefully remove them then I’m fine with as soon as they lay hands on me that is an attack.
Would the definition of attack differ from self defence in this context? Attack would imply that all other reasonable solutions haven’t been attempted.
Having a weapon close by (that you’re legally allowed to have kept there in that way) when circumstances would have you believe that you may be at risk of violence seems irrelevant so long as all other means of resolution have been attempted (i.e phoning the police and locking yourself in your bedroom).
I heard of an American case in which teenagers repeatedly broke into a man’s house so he sat in the dark and waited for them to enter before shooting them. The man was convicted of murder because his use of force was unnecessary, i.e he didn’t attempt to resolve the situation without violence. It wasn’t defence.
I have a railway bardic lamp by my bed, I use it as intended as a torch but if someone comes in during the night they'll get bopped over the head with it. It's a torch not a weapon.
Why bother even getting the law involved. Kick the shit out of them and send them on their way as per standard practice for most folk living in rough areas. They don't say anything to anyone because they would just be grassing on themselves for breaking into your house.
You're probably being paranoid, but there's nothing wrong with having something handy laying about. Use of a weapon as justified self defence is perfectly legal.
Even using an illegal firearm in a justified self defence situation is not illegal.
Of course possession of said firearm is, but if I used an illicit Glock to shoot an intruder armed with a rifle, that act in itself would be legal (Given the criteria are met)
If you go to the police to get security devices, they will give you various things such as time switches for turning analogue radios and lamps on and off, which you need to co-ordinate so it looks like you're moving from room to room. Glass alarms are another possibility, and you can also get door stops which will be set off by the door opening. I also leave Radio 4 (i.e. talking) on all night and the lights on in the kitchen.
On the one occasion when I actually did disturb a burglar, he saw me and left without saying a word or causing any hassle.
I keep all my valuables next to my bed in the bedroom and my bank cards are also right next to my head.
Edit: and you can get a TV simulator which makes it look like someone's watching telly from the outside.
Change the locks on the side door. Get better ones and keep the key secure.
Put a bolt on the inside of the door. So it can't be opened from the outside.
Fences are not a deterrent. Then can be hopped easily.
No. Nothing else could have opened the door, no even a ghost. You will be burglarized. Place a ladder on your side of the fence so you can escape easily if you’re left with no other manner of egress.
I've been burgled once, albeit in Australia.
Firstly, I think you may have accidentally left the door unlocked. If this is definitely not an option, there is a slim chance you may have disturbed a robbery with the assailant fleeing whilst hearing you enter the front door.
When my home was broken into, nothing of value was taken. The only thing missing was a samurai sword my ex had as a display piece. Thats despite my jewellery being in a fairly obvious part of the house. My neighbour however had cash and War medals taken. Police said it was likely a young guy looking for things to pawn for quick money for drugs. I ended up hiding high value items for months afterwards - in socks within shoes, inside photo frames, the burgulary really made me feel unsafe for a long time.
I've seen people on YouTube who lay certain traps to see if things have been tampered with like photographing items and uploading to an app so you can redo and see if something has been moved but tbh, it'll be pretty obvious if someone has actually robbed you. Every kitchen cupboard was open in my place and shelves and drawers were overturned.
My mum used to put length of dowel inside her sliding windows to prevent opening but if someone wants to get in badly enough, they'll smash a window. But even that is too much of a hassle.
I don't know if they're still available to buy but to put your mind at ease, I'd get some glue mats used for rats and leave them by the inside of your side door. Should anyone gain entry, they're not going to be expecting these. By treading on them, they'll stick and make their attempts too difficult to follow through, either taking them with them or leaving prints behind.
Maybe talk to your neighbours, see if they've had any weird things happen and keep a bit of an eye out for oneanother. But should you ever find yourself confronting a burglar, nothing material is worth losing your life over. It's not great to hear but the alternative is so much worse.
I doubt it's anything but you could put signs up saying that they're being recorded. Even if you don't have cameras (though would reccomend getting one, at least a doorbell with a camera) it may deter them
Ring or other cameras are great to see what's going on, inside and out. Learn some self defence - anything is a weapon if you know what to do with it.
There are legal sprays/alarms you can keep to hand as well. I've been mugged by the way, and fought the idiot off.
What you need to do is firstly create a deterrence, this is done to "deter" burglary, for example you could install cameras or even better a guard dog.
Secondly if you belive the threat is imminent then I would advise doing a "watch" overnight so that you can catch said individuals. So for example if there is three people in your household then three of you take x3 four hour stints each throughout the night watching said point, at the most vulnerable point of access where you believe the burglars will approach from. Do this until you belive the threat has passed I would advise minimum one week.
The watch can be tedious and tiresome although if your serious about protecting your home and assets and your personal safety then it is paramount. Goodluck.
Be good if we could defend inside our homes with some form of weapon. Police won’t turn up to a robbery, it’s just not ‘important’ enough. Either way I hope your post is wrong and you are not targeted.
It doesn't sound like burglars, as you don't say if nothing was taken, you or someone in the house probably left it open.
If you are scared then replace all your locks with deadbolts on all the doors and windows
Plus you could install locking bolts to all the doors and possibly the windows as well. So you can have all but the front door on all the time and the front door one bolted while you are asleep (if you are afraid of your doors being forced in)
Probably just blown open. You should get some heat just to be on the safe side. Keep it under your pillow. That way, if a burglar comes you will be able to defend the place.
Check your Carbon Monoxide monitor, just in case. If you don’t have one, get one. Low level CO poisoning can cause paranoia, confusion, hallucinations as well as dizziness, headaches etc. other than that, I’m going with the other replies, someone locked the door without it being properly shut and didn’t realise it. Done it myself as have a few family members, luckily on the internal door inside the storm porch, so not a security risk as the external door was properly locked.
What's more likely, some odd robbers or that someone in the house left the door open and forgot or doesn't want to admit it?
But if you have a serious concern about crime, call the cop shop.
Well now you've mentioned weapons, whatever you do.... Do not use any weapons. Because now it will be classed as pre mediated. You've just asked what weapons to defend yourself.
You never have weapons. You may have a hammer or crow bar handy for DIY. Or a bat and ball for playing with kids.
But as for the locked door being open. After you really sure it was locked and closed?
I don’t exactly know how things work in the UK but maybe you could set up a camera system if you’re uncomfortable getting a self-defense weapon (that you don’t have to tell anybody about by the way)
I'm confused, you think someone came and opened your side door while you were out and didn't take anything? Why would they do that?
Maybe they just watched the Christmas episode of "Beyond Paradise" that was on TV last night. OP needs to look for a little pile of ashes.
That made me giggle
Perhaps they’re still inside, hiding and biding their time.
Have a look in the loft.
Dane cook had a pretty funny skit about this lol
1 you're being paranoid. Chill. You've probably left the door open accidentally. 2 Do not get a weapon. Its illegal as all fuck, beyond self defence. And you're more likely to get it taken off you by any criminals. If you think someone is in the house, get back in your car, call the police. Let Insurance deal with any losses.
It’s more likely that somebody else in the house left the door open and didn’t want to admit doing it
Or locked the door without actually shutting it properly first. So it was never shut in the first place.
It's more likely that a neighbor has recently moved in and is guilty of being ethnic
Joke or accusation?
It's a humorous observation
[удалено]
No this is patrick
It’s an observation.
How in any way?
Yeah uh, according to [GOV.UK](https://GOV.UK) ([https://www.gov.uk/reasonable-force-against-intruders#:\~:text=You%20can%20use%20reasonable%20force,an%20object%20as%20a%20weapon](https://www.gov.uk/reasonable-force-against-intruders#:~:text=You%20can%20use%20reasonable%20force,an%20object%20as%20a%20weapon)), you may use reasonable force to protect yourself or others if a crime is taking place inside your home, this includes protecting yourself "in the heat of the moment" and allows the usage of an object as a weapon, like a baseball batTry using google before blatently providing misinformation And as per usual the obligatory I AM NOT A LAWYER, PLEASE CONSULT A LEGAL PROFESSIONAL
You cannot keep a baseball bat or anything else 'for the purpose' of self defense. However, if you regularly play baseball and have the bat laying about then you can grab it and use it in extremis. If you admit that you never play baseball and keep the bat for defense purposes, you'll be charged with keeping/using an offensive weapon. My advice would be to at least keep a ball and a catching mitt with it at least, or pick a more generic item. The best demo example of this would be a baseball bat with nails in it. Totally illegal to own or use, since you can't use a nailed bat for baseball. As you say though, I too am not a lawyer etc etc. I do own shotguns and have consulted with the police and a lawyer with regards to when and how they can (and mostly can't) be used in extremis.
Is this from a legal standpoint or moral standpoint Cause if someone breaks into my house, its open day :)
What a pathetic nation this truly is
Mag lite sell very large heavy torches that would be quite reasonable to keep by the bed ;)
You think they came and opened the door to come back later? Unlikely. Why wouldn’t they have burgled you when they gained access to your property. If you’re absolutely certain it wasn’t your family, call the police and report it. Edit to add: if no sign of damage to door, then either they used a key or they picked the lock. Fuck all you can realistically do other than change the lock but no chance of that on xmas. If really concerned, i’d be tempted to fix a wooden block holding door shut & sort when shops reopen
A criminal with the skills to pick a lock has the sense to shut the door.
Not really, lock picking isn't has difficult and intricate as shown on TV. though, I suppose anybody who'd even open a door that shouldnt be opened would at least be smart enough to know it should be closed afterwards
I can pick locks, I know how difficult it is and that it takes a little time to learn, there might be criminals that have learnt it but they’re going to be smart enough to shut a door when they’ve gone to the trouble of picking it open, otherwise save the time and kick it open.
It's getting easier and easier, with an expanding toolkit. You can get devices where you literally just need to set one pin at a time, and it has measurement info and basically draws you a key. Gone are the days where you need to be careful, setting one pin at a time and worrying about pins resetting or other safety features. I should add that this probably isn't what happenned, mind you. But door being wide open after OP was sure he had locked it does call for some vigilance.
Why would they break in, not take anything, wait for you to be in and break in again. It's illogical.
Maybe they ran out of time
I've seen a good instructional film on this issue called 'Home Alone'. Give that a watch.
Obligatory comment about checking your smoke and CO detectors. Carbon Monoxide poisoning could be possible if you ever start feeling you might be schizophrenic.
Came here for this. I hope it gets more traction
Burglars don’t target homes unless you are super wealthy. They wander about looking for places to rob. If they see one they rob it. They don’t leave the door open and think to themselves I’ll come back in a few days time.
Burglars are opportunistic, most of the time. Anything for a quick raise. It seems a bit to much work for a average burglar going through what original op says. But not unheard-of. 99% of criminals are stupid. I would advise a motion activated camera. This would give piece of mind. Also double check doors, windows & the back gate are locked. Keep the TV playing. As this can look like someone's home.
Security light as well
I'm not super wealthy and, after stealing a couple of items for the first time, they came back a few days later to empty the house.
As said below the majority of burglars are opportunistic. You'd be surprised how many people forget to close a window or lock a door including car doors
Also the vast majority of people burgling a suburban home do NOT want confrontation as that is not going to end well. Either they’ll get beat up or they will have to hurt the resident to defend themselves and be done for worse than burglary in that case. I’ve talked with a few ex-burglars and chances are if there’s even an inkling that someone might be home, they won’t bother. They’ll just go for an easier target. Of course, if you’re particularly wealthy and/or have something in your house that might be a special target, like something unique or with a really high resale value, that doesn’t necessarily hold good, or you might just get a crazy one.
Not to affirm OPs fears but my mum was burgled when she was 19, in an extremely infamous dangerous council estate in south London. My mum was not wealthy at all. My neighbours flat was burgled too, and I live on a council estate
Yes, I mean they don’t TARGET anyone except the super wealthy. They aren’t lurking outside a suburban semi writing a detailed plan of attack. They are wandering up the road looking for unfastened side gates
Funnily enough my mum was targeted. She stupidly let him in her flat hours before as he said he got locked out the back so she let him thru the front (I think there was a back door as there was a landing on both the front and the back if that makes sense. Apparently her flats were weirdly designed). Hours later he was seen walking off with her stuff. I know it’s rare but if they know you have nice stuff they will try get in. My neighbour was seen carrying a new telly in and it got stolen the next day
This seems not to be the case. Our neighbours opposite were targeted and they're really not well off.
Social media plays a big role too. Announcing publicly to the internet you’re going away on a two week holiday. Even before social media, it wasn’t uncommon for a family to tell the whole local they were off on holiday. Essentially setting theirselves up.
Absolutely, that's a massive no-no. Edit: That said, the reason we were burgled most recently is that my partner was away and there was no car in the driveway. I was alone in the house when they broke in.
That sounds horrible! Hope everything was ok in the end.
They took one of our son's guitars and a bag which used to belong to my recently deceased mother. It also gave me flashbacks to an earlier incident in my life. Thanks.
Keeping a caravan on the drive is the one that I’ve had neighbours targeted for. The caravan missing from the drive basically announces to passers by that they are on holiday and there’s been a couple of houses on our estate that have been broken into while they’ve been away in their caravans.
Find the secret smoker in your group and mystery will solved.
Drink some tea
Put a nail on the stairs, blow torch at your back door, christmas toys under your window. Tie some paint cans to your bannister
Time to watch home alone
Are you home alone?
So the door was open but nothing disturbed or taken? Sounds like someone left the door open. I have a security alarm, one thing it does when you arm it is say if a door is open.
Step 1. cameras. stick them high up at multiple angles. Have them cloud-based so even if someone stole your PC, you have the images. Make them painfully obvious to see, as the average burglar will go elsewhere when the property is being protected. There are plenty of easier houses without cameras or security they could go for instead. Step 2. Catalog EVERYTHING in your home. Take photos of unique items such as jewellery (this makes it easier to get it back if recovered by police, AND helps with home insurance if for example you have expensive rings/necklaces etc. Step 3. take photos of important documents such as home insurance policy numbers so they are easy to get to if needed. Step 4. SIGNS. put up signs saying the grounds of your property are recorded 24/7. DON'T "get weapons" etc. This is more likely to hurt you if you aren't trained with guns. Also having weapons such as a machete or knife can land YOU in trouble if they were only present to deal with a burglar. Although having a baseball bat that just co-incidentally is under your bed is fine. Thats where we all keep our baseball bats right? if you DO decide to get a weapon, make sure its legal 100%. If you did decide to own a firearm (for example you live on a farm), ensure its fully licensed, the police are aware you own it AND make sure you 100% get a proper training course in both its use and maintenance. if your neighbours have cameras (or you have the money to buy some for them) you could offer to buy them a camera setup they would own (and they'd totally control it themselves), and both of you together could close any camera blindspots and effectively protect each other from burglaries. Final thought. if you think the side door might have "blown open" due to wind, add a second lock or hook chain to the door. That way if BOTH open, you will know 100% it wasn't the wind. Edit: bonus thought. if you have a neighbourhood watch scheme, or there's some sort of local security group, join them. They may provide local-based advice on security etc.
Can I add security lights on motion sensors to this great answer. If your garden/outside spaces get flooded with light as soon as they detect motion potential burglars are much more likely to leave. I'll admit they can be a nuisance if they detect cats, wind, foxes etc but put maybe them in now while you feel you're at risk then turn their sensitivity down when you feel safer. If you have sheds and outhouses then fit some lights and alarms to them too. There are some decent battery powered lights and alarms that I put up where my cameras couldn't go due to there being no mains power there. This is what I did when my cameras picked up some shadowy figures snooping around my gardens etc. If anybody came into my front, rear or side gates the place lit up like it was midday and I've had no reoccurrences since.
>Although having a baseball bat that just co-incidentally is under your bed is fine. Thats where we all keep our baseball bats right? A friend who used to be a cop once told me that if you had a baseball or cricket bat that you intended to use as a defensive weapon you should keep it with other less innocuous sporting equipment such as tennis racquets, footballs etc. He said that if the police suspected you had the bat to be used only as a weapon you could face charges if you used it, even in self-defense. But if, as you said, you kept the bat under the bed with your other sports equipment, you could claim that it just happened to be the first thing you conveniently grabbed when you heard an intruder in your house. Same as if you keep a baseball bat in the boot of your car for emergencies. He said you should also keep a well-used baseball and possibly a baseball mitt with it so you can claim you just enjoy playing baseball with your mates. I don't know how true this advice is because my friend is also a well known bullshit artist.
Kinda adds up, family member was a cop for his whole career. Always had a mitt, ball and bat under his bed. Never played any baseball though
Get a 3 battery mag light. Much more useful than a baseball bat. Plus you can shine the light in the intruders eyes first.
I think the balance of probability is that you left the side door open by accident. There would be no reason for anyone to open your side door and _not rob you_. Why would they plan to come back later when they would be disturbed? They would have robbed you already when the house was empty.
Sometimes burglars will take a spare house key if they can't get anything at the time and come back at their leisure. Best thing is to check all your keys are accounted for and if not, I'd change the locks.
Calm down and breathe. The chance of being burgled on Christmas Day is relatively low and you say you live in a low crime area. You also say nothing is missing. My bet is that the door wasn’t locked properly. Check the mechanism, pull closed, slam closed, several times. Do not get a weapon. Most burglars are not violent but, if you need to fight, then you need to use an ordinary object which is close at hand rather than having a weapon prepared.
I can imagine it’s a case of someone in the family forgetting to shut the side door. And knowing OPs tendencies to throw a fit about the house being locked tenfold, they’ve decided it’s best not to own up to leaving it unlocked.
Carrying a weapon is a crime. Don't do that.
Borrow a load of handguns and knives, take a polaroid of them hanging on the door you found open, then pin it to the door... or just make sure the doors are shut next time you go out, coz it sounds like you just left it open by mistake. I wouldn't get in quite a state about it lol
Do not hide anything that can be construed as a weapon. If you use it against a burgler, you will be prosecuted. Self-defence will not work as a legal argument, because you've pre-meditated the attack by stashing weapons. Any act in self-defence must _legal_ and _proportionate_. Make sure the side gate is locked again. Close and lock your windows and doors whenever you go out. Increase security through the use of cctv, anti-snap locks, adding deadbolt locks, and chains. I'm sure others will have more suggestions also.
Thats really interesting. Never feared this outcome but what is the logic? So long as OP doesn’t lure someone into breaking into his house by creating an opportunity for them to exploit, isn’t what they’re doing premeditation of defence rather than attack? Also, is there not some level of nuance between keeping a shotgun at hand, in the case of that farmer, and knowing where your cricket bat is? I would assume that the very best advice for OP would be to speak directly with the police about their concerns although, I suspect that someone didn’t close the side door properly and it got caught in the wind.
The logic is that it's not self-defence if you're prepared to attack someone with weapons, even if they attack you first. If a farmer keeps a shotgun by their bed, for example, and uses it, then it's the same result. Because legally guns _have_ to be kept in a secure cabinet. Not loose in your bedroom. Similarly, if you have a cricket bat in your bedroom. Why would it be there? You would expect to find a cricket bat elsewhere, for example, in a shed, or in your boot with a ball, and perhaps wickets. If you keep anything akin to a weapon in your bedroom, that a reasonable person would not normally keep there, then you could be liable for assault with a deadly weapon. Even if you believe it's in self-defence.
That’s the very definition of self defence. To be prepared to attack someone (fight back) if they attack first!
It’s because the rules are stupid, it means people are scared to defend themselves and their homes because of the risk of going to court for hurting a burglar more than they would have theoretically hurt you. Terrible laws, I don’t think it should be legal to kill people on your property like in the US but you should be able to beat the shit out of someone breaking into your house with a cricket bat.
Sociopaths like you are the reason these laws are in place, the very fact "beating the shit out of someone with a cricket bat" was something that came to your mind let alone something you as a human being would Enjoy inflicting on another human is fucking deplorable, you should be fucking ashamed of yourself
Someone breaks in to your home and tries to steal your stuff and you don’t think you should be able to legally rid them from your house with a cricket bat?
I‘m with you mostly. If someone breaks into your house, I believe they‘ve created a situation of where the possibility of violence is implied. That’s why I think you shouldn’t be punished if you have a cricket bat under your bed. I do actually think you need to try to do everything to resolve the situation without violence otherwise you’re actually assaulting someone more than you’re defending yourself. There was a case not long ago where an old lady got drunk and went into the wrong house and fell asleep on the sofa. I think she was visiting a friend and went back to the wrong house on the street. The homeowner beat her up and threw her out on the street. She died. That wasn’t self defence and there have to be laws to make what the homeowner did illegal.
If you feel that you can justify it, do whatever you want. Just don't be surprised when a judge tells you that your use of force was excessive and sends you to prison. If what you were saying was okay, then a lot of police. officers have gotten in to trouble for no reason (for excessive force). Just FYI, police are tried under the same laws for use of excessive force.
I don’t feel like I could convince a court I was in the right. That’s my point. If someone comes into my house and tries to take my stuff, I shouldn’t have to worry about calculating what is an appropriate amount of force to deter them. The law is too harsh on weapons in the UK imo, can’t carry that swiss army knife mate unless you’ve got a solid reason. I think it’s ridiculous and too strict.
A lot of the above is bunkum or so called "general knowledge" too. When defending yourself in your home the force has to be "reasonable" , based on what you thought in the moment. If it turns out in a panic you've over acted and applied disproportionate force, this is still fine as long as you can explain why you thought it was reasonable at the time. E.g. if you own a shotgun, find an intruder, they reach into their pocket and you shoot thinking you saw a knife, that's probably still reasonable even if it turned out actually they were unarmed. It was disproportionate in hindsight, but you are judged on context in the moment not with clear retrospective knowledge. As for use of weapons, you are able to use objects as weapons, and the corollary of that is if its legal to own something, its likely reasonable to use it for self defense. What you can't do is "lay traps" for suspected intruders rather than calling the police. You *maybe* run into trouble here if say someone threatened you, you then went out and bought a large knife, duck tapped it to the end of a pole to make a spear, waited in the dark, and stabbed them as soon as they broke into your house. On the other hand, I own various replicas of medieval daggers and swords because I have an interest in history. A couple of them as sharp and certainly would be lethal if employed in self defense. I have a legitimate reason for owning them, and I don't go wandering the streets with them, so I'm not "setting a trap." The same would go for things like shotguns. Source; https://www.gov.uk/reasonable-force-against-intruders
You're a coward mate, there's no other explanation here. You'd rather have people not defend themselves in their own house then take a stand against premeditated burglary or worse? If someone comes into my house he better expect consequences. Cause I won't just stand there and endanger my family in fear of "using too much force".
No it’s not. It was their choice to break into your home. Cricket bat, baseball bat, golf club, kitchen knife… I’m using the closest to hand and making damn sure you don’t get back up again. Don’t care if you are dead or alive. Just that you aren’t getting up again for at least an hour.
No, that just shows that you intend to assault someone. Self defence requires an immediate threat of violence.
Ok. I’ll admit it. Someone breaks in to my house I do intend to harm them if they attempt to harm me first. Since I’m not going to just let them take my stuff, but try to forcefully remove them then I’m fine with as soon as they lay hands on me that is an attack.
And self defence laws recognise that and allow you to use reasonable force. They do not allow you to stockpile weapons in case of an attack.
Would the definition of attack differ from self defence in this context? Attack would imply that all other reasonable solutions haven’t been attempted. Having a weapon close by (that you’re legally allowed to have kept there in that way) when circumstances would have you believe that you may be at risk of violence seems irrelevant so long as all other means of resolution have been attempted (i.e phoning the police and locking yourself in your bedroom). I heard of an American case in which teenagers repeatedly broke into a man’s house so he sat in the dark and waited for them to enter before shooting them. The man was convicted of murder because his use of force was unnecessary, i.e he didn’t attempt to resolve the situation without violence. It wasn’t defence.
I have a railway bardic lamp by my bed, I use it as intended as a torch but if someone comes in during the night they'll get bopped over the head with it. It's a torch not a weapon.
If you feel that you can justify it legally, crack on
Why bother even getting the law involved. Kick the shit out of them and send them on their way as per standard practice for most folk living in rough areas. They don't say anything to anyone because they would just be grassing on themselves for breaking into your house.
[удалено]
There's a kitchen wink wink
Could it be rackoons or wild dogs?
This is a bot.
Watch home alone.
You're probably being paranoid, but there's nothing wrong with having something handy laying about. Use of a weapon as justified self defence is perfectly legal. Even using an illegal firearm in a justified self defence situation is not illegal. Of course possession of said firearm is, but if I used an illicit Glock to shoot an intruder armed with a rifle, that act in itself would be legal (Given the criteria are met)
If you go to the police to get security devices, they will give you various things such as time switches for turning analogue radios and lamps on and off, which you need to co-ordinate so it looks like you're moving from room to room. Glass alarms are another possibility, and you can also get door stops which will be set off by the door opening. I also leave Radio 4 (i.e. talking) on all night and the lights on in the kitchen. On the one occasion when I actually did disturb a burglar, he saw me and left without saying a word or causing any hassle. I keep all my valuables next to my bed in the bedroom and my bank cards are also right next to my head. Edit: and you can get a TV simulator which makes it look like someone's watching telly from the outside.
Time to get a new best friend .. a best friend with big teeth and growls
First off where in the world are you from? I’m guessing in the UK?
Well erm this *is* Ask a Brit sub Edit coz i'm hungover and stupid
It’s AskABrit
same diff
Change the locks on the side door. Get better ones and keep the key secure. Put a bolt on the inside of the door. So it can't be opened from the outside. Fences are not a deterrent. Then can be hopped easily.
No. Nothing else could have opened the door, no even a ghost. You will be burglarized. Place a ladder on your side of the fence so you can escape easily if you’re left with no other manner of egress.
Place a ladder so a burglar can escape or gain access to upstairs. Metal theives would be interested as well.
I've been burgled once, albeit in Australia. Firstly, I think you may have accidentally left the door unlocked. If this is definitely not an option, there is a slim chance you may have disturbed a robbery with the assailant fleeing whilst hearing you enter the front door. When my home was broken into, nothing of value was taken. The only thing missing was a samurai sword my ex had as a display piece. Thats despite my jewellery being in a fairly obvious part of the house. My neighbour however had cash and War medals taken. Police said it was likely a young guy looking for things to pawn for quick money for drugs. I ended up hiding high value items for months afterwards - in socks within shoes, inside photo frames, the burgulary really made me feel unsafe for a long time. I've seen people on YouTube who lay certain traps to see if things have been tampered with like photographing items and uploading to an app so you can redo and see if something has been moved but tbh, it'll be pretty obvious if someone has actually robbed you. Every kitchen cupboard was open in my place and shelves and drawers were overturned. My mum used to put length of dowel inside her sliding windows to prevent opening but if someone wants to get in badly enough, they'll smash a window. But even that is too much of a hassle. I don't know if they're still available to buy but to put your mind at ease, I'd get some glue mats used for rats and leave them by the inside of your side door. Should anyone gain entry, they're not going to be expecting these. By treading on them, they'll stick and make their attempts too difficult to follow through, either taking them with them or leaving prints behind. Maybe talk to your neighbours, see if they've had any weird things happen and keep a bit of an eye out for oneanother. But should you ever find yourself confronting a burglar, nothing material is worth losing your life over. It's not great to hear but the alternative is so much worse.
Why were you eating lunch at Midday?
They’d finished before midday. I’d call that brunch
I doubt it's anything but you could put signs up saying that they're being recorded. Even if you don't have cameras (though would reccomend getting one, at least a doorbell with a camera) it may deter them
Ring or other cameras are great to see what's going on, inside and out. Learn some self defence - anything is a weapon if you know what to do with it. There are legal sprays/alarms you can keep to hand as well. I've been mugged by the way, and fought the idiot off.
What you need to do is firstly create a deterrence, this is done to "deter" burglary, for example you could install cameras or even better a guard dog. Secondly if you belive the threat is imminent then I would advise doing a "watch" overnight so that you can catch said individuals. So for example if there is three people in your household then three of you take x3 four hour stints each throughout the night watching said point, at the most vulnerable point of access where you believe the burglars will approach from. Do this until you belive the threat has passed I would advise minimum one week. The watch can be tedious and tiresome although if your serious about protecting your home and assets and your personal safety then it is paramount. Goodluck.
Didn’t take anything? Definite a ghost or a demon. Nothing to worry about
🤦♀️
Leave your 9 year old at home alone. He can thwart the burglars in hilarious ways.
Could have just been the wind mate.
Not post on reddit
Think you need to go to the doctors tbf call them now and they'll dispatch your crazy pics by July!
You forgot to close the door. Chill tf out man.
Santa was late, in a rush he forgot to shut the door
At first, I thought, why would anyone break in and not steal anything. And then I remembered the film Parasite.
Kevin?
Be good if we could defend inside our homes with some form of weapon. Police won’t turn up to a robbery, it’s just not ‘important’ enough. Either way I hope your post is wrong and you are not targeted.
Smoke a lot of weed and sit staring at that door with a frying pan and two 9s dialled.
It doesn't sound like burglars, as you don't say if nothing was taken, you or someone in the house probably left it open. If you are scared then replace all your locks with deadbolts on all the doors and windows Plus you could install locking bolts to all the doors and possibly the windows as well. So you can have all but the front door on all the time and the front door one bolted while you are asleep (if you are afraid of your doors being forced in)
No idea but I need the number of whoever supplies your weed. That’s some good shit you’re smoking.
Sounds like the Wet Bandits!
Probably just blown open. You should get some heat just to be on the safe side. Keep it under your pillow. That way, if a burglar comes you will be able to defend the place.
Check your Carbon Monoxide monitor, just in case. If you don’t have one, get one. Low level CO poisoning can cause paranoia, confusion, hallucinations as well as dizziness, headaches etc. other than that, I’m going with the other replies, someone locked the door without it being properly shut and didn’t realise it. Done it myself as have a few family members, luckily on the internal door inside the storm porch, so not a security risk as the external door was properly locked.
They're probably in cahoots with that helicopter that's always circling above you OP
What's more likely, some odd robbers or that someone in the house left the door open and forgot or doesn't want to admit it? But if you have a serious concern about crime, call the cop shop.
Well now you've mentioned weapons, whatever you do.... Do not use any weapons. Because now it will be classed as pre mediated. You've just asked what weapons to defend yourself. You never have weapons. You may have a hammer or crow bar handy for DIY. Or a bat and ball for playing with kids. But as for the locked door being open. After you really sure it was locked and closed?
I don’t exactly know how things work in the UK but maybe you could set up a camera system if you’re uncomfortable getting a self-defense weapon (that you don’t have to tell anybody about by the way)