Burglary on Athenlay Road

[Mazcurl]

Hello,

Our home was broken in to this week and I was told by a neighbour that there were a few other burglaries on the same street in the days before.

Some very sentimental items were stolen and we are trying to deal with the emotional aftermath.

If you know or know of someone who has experienced this on the road or nearby, please can you get in touch. I'd love to start a neighbourhood group to look out for one and other.

Many thanks,

Marilyn

[James Barber]

How awful.

To set up a Neighbourhood Watch email Marcus Suitor, Secretary, Southwark Neighbourhood Watch Association at [email protected] or phone 0843 289 6529.

[Mazcurl]

Thank you.

Yes, that's great, I'll do that now.

[AngelaP]

We live at 145 Athenlay Road and were broken into last Thursday between 4pm and 6pm. We would be interested in joining a Neighbourhood watch.

[Mazcurl]

Thank you for getting in touch.

I've emailed the Southwark council contact and will get things started as soon as I know how.

Ours happened on Tuesday 25th between 11:30am and 1:30pm. We should be hearing from the police this weekend.

I'll be in touch soon.

Thanks again

[Calsug]

Out of interest how did they get in?

[Mazcurl]

Through the front window hidden by an overgrown headge.

[AngelaP]

Did they smash your window to get in? Was it double glazed? They got in at the side of our house as we are end of terrace. They must have jumped over the wall and then seen keys on a work surface which they reached somehow by poking something through the catflap.

[MirandaS]

Hi I live on Athenlay road and would also be interested in joining Neigbourhood Watch. My partner works from home some days so will ask him if he saw anything unusually. We live near the new villas and there is always plenty of people around. It may be worth speaking with the workers. Let me know about the neighbourhood watch

[Mazcurl]

They didn't break anything, it was dismantled very carefully. We have very old, single paned windows!

I'm amazed at how they have been able to get away with all of this on the same street.

I spoke to a lady who lives nearby and she saw a man looking through letterboxes last week. The man took a letter from one house and jumped into a car to look at it... I wonder if this was the person who is responsible for the break ins. This is why neighbourhood watch would be helpful!

Thank you MirandaS, I'll be in touch. We're near the new villas too. I'm not sure if the police spoke to them but I will try on Monday. There are a lot of workmen around with all the house renovations going on.

[uncleglen]

The man looking through the letter boxes was obviously looking for keys on view. Why didn't the lady who lives nearby get the car registration ...taking someone's post is a criminal offence...

[Mazcurl]

That's a good question...

I jogged her memory when I explained the situation. I will stop by and ask her to report it.

[toto]

Apart from the burglars, no one knows where this road is !

[James Barber]

Front garden vegetation should maximum be chest height but ideally waist height so no dead zones for people to be concealed by while carrying out such burglaries.

This lesson was learnt the hard way - receiving crime prevention advice after an attack on our home.

[Calsug]

You could Google it or maybe not reply with a silly comment considering a few posters have had their houses torn apart and are understandbly upset.

toto Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> Apart from the burglars, no one knows where this

> road is !

[singalto]

Calsug, I agree with you.

[Trudypeel]

I used to live on Athenlay road and we were broken into. It also happened on the same day as a number of others. The police said it was kids as they'd got their fingers underneath the window frame and yanked it open. Funny that it was half term last week so may have been kids again. They didn't catch the culprit.

Horrible being burgled, my sympathies are with you and hope the police catch them.

[Mazcurl]

Thank you James, we were wondering today if we'd cut the front hedge low enough. We'll go for waist height!

Another neighbour told me that another resident had posted leaflets through doors over a week ago about their break in to warn others, sadly we didn't see it... would be good to find out who that is to thank them none the less.

Yes Trudy, half term was a perfect time with many people away. Sadly, the thieves are so good at it it's very hard to catch them! This makes me more keen to get neighbourhood watch sorted with Christmas on its way.

[uncleglen]

The other thing that can put your house at risk is if you have neighbours with large vans that they park outside YOUR house instead of their own.

[Renata Hamvas]

Hi Marilyn and Angela,

I'm really sorry to hear about you being burgled. From experience, it is worth giving the Police any details you can of the stolen items in case they catch the people involved doing it again elsewhere(also check ebay and local pawn shops). It may be useful to look at this link:

http://www.ourwatch.org.uk/

It may be worth considering having a burglar alarm installed; from discussions with crime prevention officers it appears that they do have a deterring effect.

Renata

[Oldtincan]

I heard there was a break-in and a number of attempted break-ins on Holmdene Ave in north dulwich last month. Again someone going down the street in broad day light knocking on doors claiming to have the wrong address if the door was answered. Then attempting to open front sash windows or slipping round the back on semidetached houses. Thankfully i heard they arrested someone with pockets full of loot! If a dodgy looking male knocks on your door during the day asking for his long lost cousin, or you suspect someone is up to no good then call the police immediately. Front hedges should be cut back and alarms set. And never ever leave your keys anywhere near the front door.

[first mate]

One more thing, can organisations and individuals who post letters or leaflets halfway way through a letter box, leaving the letterbox partly open, indicating in all liklihood the house is empty at that moment, please stop. It is not only a security risk it also lets expensive heating out of the home.

Is this how a letter was taken from someones house?

Can penalties be bought against unsolicited leafleters? Local pizza, curry and other establishments please take note.