Being Burgled.

[Norcon]

It's not nice at all.
4 guys in hoodie jackets.
My nephew was on the premises as it was happening and alerted a few people who alerted the police.
8 houses done in my area today and one poor soul badly beaten up.

Front door busted in and the two shotguns stolen.
House was a complete mess. Cabinet doors pulled off the hinges and stuff strewn all over the place.
Forensics guy left about 8:00 pm.
Had a police chopper hovering over my house for a while.

The police seem determined to catch these vermin but I don't think they will.
Home security is now high on my list of priorities.
Security gates (either tracked or cantilever) then cameras everywhere until the place is bristling with them both in the open and covert.

 

[Deluks]

Time of year for burglaries to increase. Where do you live, I'll sharpen my golf clubs ready for 'em if it's round here!

 

[Norcon]

I'm in Armagh.
Yes Christmas is approaching and these parasites need cash.

I could have had my guns hidden in the loft under the insulation but thats breaking the law.
They were in huge steel security cabinet which they levered open.

They did a house a few days ago and ripped the security cabinet clean off the wall. Guns and cash seem to be their priority.

 

[Donkmeister]

Awful. I hope your nephew boosts his security too - Burglars have a nasty habit of waiting long enough for the insurance to pay out then turning the place over again to get the new stuff.

Front door busted in and the two shotguns stolen.

Aren't shotguns meant to be kept in a locked safe?!?!?!

EDIT: Just seen you mentioned the guns were in a cabinet.

 

[ajstoneservices]

my guns
They were in huge steel security cabinet which they levered open.

Feel bad for you Norcon


Edit: just seen you've posted again DM.

 

[Norcon]

My nephew hid out of sight. Perhaps wisely.
He did have his phone camera but I think fear over came him as he was on his own.
They were most likely armed on arrival and certainly better armed upon leaving.
They used my ladder to climb up and smash the alarm(which was disabled anyway) and smashed the dummy camera off the wall.

My Dad warned me several times to beef up the security and I'm now forced to do so which will cost a considerable sum.

 

[Donkmeister]

Can I ask what sort of area you live in? Can I assume that with your shotguns and the other guns from the area this is rural?

Good thing your nephew hid... It's a no win situation isn't it. If someone tries to intervene, then they either get beaten up badly (or worse), or if they get the upper hand then you end up with another Tony Martin case.

 

[Norcon]

I'm rural but not totally remote.
I live on a farm so a shot gun can come in handy.
Break in's are common and have really taken off in the last few years.

I wish the police could do more. The cira are quite active in the area.
There's always one in any gang that will happily pull the trigger and leave you for dead.

 

[JohnD]

can I ask what sort of front door (wood, plastic, panelled, etc), what sort of locks; where the lock gave way?

where was your ladder, and was it chained to the wall?

what did they use to lever open the cabinet?

I am interested in knowing what are the weak points that need attention

ta

btw my alarm phones out to a control station; if you are in the house, you can use a duress setting which makes an alarm call without sounding in the house.

 

[wreckedit]

Seems to me the safe keeping of shot guns in a house are totally inadequate and they should be kept in a real place of safety.

Obviously this would be inconvenient to you the user but better that than what happened to you.

 

[LastMagicBean]

Sentences are far to light for this type of crime. Thats if the police even bother to try and catch them. Hence very little deterrent.

You can't even properly defend yourself, family and property against these people without being charged and prosecuted.

Complete scum.

 

[Donkmeister]

I'm rural but not totally remote.
I live on a farm so a shot gun can come in handy.
Break in's are common and have really taken off in the last few years.

I wish the police could do more. The cira are quite active in the area.
There's always one in any gang that will happily pull the trigger and leave you for dead.

I was wondering because I live in a semi-rural area, and as soon as you get a few miles into the countryside the houses get pretty isolated.

Usually the worst we get round here is a particularly ferocious hedgehog, an irate partridge or a mildly bemused pheasant.

Good luck with the upgrades.

 

[obmcfc]

Norcon my friend lives in Portrush and 4 houses in his area were done last night - he was lucky and wasn't touched.

It is a horrible feeling - I was renting a flat in Waterside, Londonderry long time a go and 3 blokes moved in upstairs after being there 2 days they ransacked the rest of the flats, all I lost was money though they had everything piled at back door (tvs, viedeos, hi-fi's, microwaves etc) and police reckon got disturbed or went to steal a car and didn't come back

 

[Norcon]

can I ask what sort of front door (wood, plastic, panelled, etc), what sort of locks; where the lock gave way?

where was your ladder, and was it chained to the wall?

what did they use to lever open the cabinet?

I am interested in knowing what are the weak points that need attention

ta

btw my alarm phones out to a control station; if you are in the house, you can use a duress setting which makes an alarm call without sounding in the house.

The front door lock is just an ordinary yale lock and it looks like they used something heavy to just burst it open and the pine timber gave way.
If that had held they would just have smashed a window.


My ladder was sitting in an open shed next to the house with no chain.
I think they used a nail bar to pry open the gun caninet.

My home was not the last one on the list yesterday from what I've heard.
I've also been told a determined effort is underway to catch these vermin but I'm very sceptical about success.

Have some of the damage repaired now and have a security gate specialist lined up to have a look on Saturday.
So thats the first step.

 

[JohnD]

ah, a Yale

did the keep burst off the frame?

a mortice lock is far stronger. I use a Chubb 3R35 as it automatically latches, but it does not meet the current BS as it is quite an old design

problem with a gate is that people will tend not to lock it every time. However it does make it much more difficult for someone to walk out of the house carrrying your stuff.