Break-ins & burgularys: East Dulwich Road area

[flong]

At about 7.05 this evening (Wed 12), someone broke into my house and tried to smash their way into the first-floor flat with a hammer. It's particularly worrying that this happened at a time when people could be expected to be in.

I didn't ring 999 at the time, as I wasn't sure the racket wasn't the folks upstairs locked out or something (though I was worried enough to do the courageous thing and cower behind my own door till the bloke had left, since I live alone) and the upstairs door was still shut when I went to look afterwards. It was only when the flat occupant returned that it was realised that the door had been done over, apparently with a heavy hammer. The police have since been informed.

I can't believe that this is the only job that this bloke has tried to do this evening. Only look I got at him was from behind, disappearing down East Dulwich Road - grey hoodie with jacket over it, which isn't much use, but keep 'em peeled. Has anyone else had an unwelcome visit today?

Carving knife under the pillow from now on, I think.

[8 Track Cartrige Family]

That's terrible. I'm on East Dulwich Road. Whereabouts are you flong? Did the police shed any light on it?

[Snoopy]

That's horrible.

What type of front door do you have that he broke through first? Did it have deadlocks etc?

[LJ1980]

Oh my God. My neighbour got broken-into today. I live in a block of six flats in Melbourne Grove. Her flat screen telly , two laptops and jewellery was taken. The scary thing was I was in at the time and didn't hear anything.

[Frisco]

"I live in a block of six flats in Melbourne Grove. Her flat screen telly , two laptops and jewellery was taken. The scary thing was I was in at the time and didn't hear anything."

Above GM's? If so, that's really cheeky as there are always lots of people around. I think we can expect more of this in the run-up to Christmas, so it's probably a good time to be more security conscious.

[LJ1980]

No, the other side of East Dulwich Grove. Think it happened in the afternoon/early evening so very cheeky. Think we're going to get another lock fitted - does anyone know anyone cheapish/reputable in the SE22 area?

[Frisco]

"does anyone know anyone cheapish/reputable in the SE22 area?"

There was a recent thread about the locksmith on LL, opposite the Co-op chemist, which had mixed reports. Might be worth getting a quote from them though.

[LJ1980]

Thanks for the reccie. We went down today and they were really helpful, got a new deadlock and my flatmate has just fitted it. Saw my neighbour on the way out and the police still hadn't been :X

[Frisco]

Glad to have been of assistance, and I hope the new lock does the trick.

I've been burgled 3 times in 20 years here, but not for nearly ten (touch wood) since I became more security conscious and installed lights, as well as always trying to make the house seem occupied to likely opportunistic burglars, which in recent years it mostly is.

[embellina]

How horrible flong. We had a break in, in Glengarry Road, a couple of weeks ago. Might be same person. When they time came to seeing about getting a new lock for the front door the guy at Dulwich DIY said our Yale was the most rubbish kind and people would take one look and definitely try to get in. We've been double-bolting since but worth getting the best lock possible for the detterent.

[flong]

Snoopy Wrote:

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

> That's horrible.

> What type of front door do you have that he broke

> through first? Did it have deadlocks etc?

Only a simple Yale - practically useless. I think he just carded it in the end. I've now contacted the leaseholder to get him to pressure the management company into fitting a decent lock before Xmas. That's the problem with being a tenant in a house with multiple occupancy - if we were all owner-occupiers, we could just buy the damn thing ourselves and get it fitted the same day.

8TCF - I am on the quiet, Goose Green side of ED road, about halfway between roundabout and church.

[GemmaT]

Hello all I am new to the East Dulwich forum - but I live in the flat that got broken into yesterday in Melbourne Grove!

We only locked the main lock of the door and didnt lock the bottom lock so I think it was probably very easy to get in the flat. They also must of somehow managed to get through the main door and carry everything out - including a 32 inch brand new flat screen. Very gutting as we only moved in at the end of September and goods can be replaced but pics on the camera and laptops cant be so I warn everyone to get two locks on their doors!

The police eventually turned up at around noon today and said that there have been 5 other burglaries in the area - so be careful, Im not holding my breath that they are going to catch them - they couldnt even find any finger prints - they must have used gloves!!

Anyways I hope by writing on the wall it will make people ensure that they lock up properly and take out insurance - which unfortunately we forgot to do - very expensive lesson learned!!

[Frisco]

Sorry to hear that Gemma, what a horrible welcome to ED!

[Nero]

Dead locks are the biz. I've got two of them, and I feel very secure. I keep a light on in the porch all night, too. I've been stupid in the past and had my keys stolen from the door (unless I've actually put them down in a really odd place where they'll turn up in about ten years' time!) whih required a lock change. Nero

[EDmummy]

So sorry Gemma T, sounds like the same MO as the thieves who broke into our house in the early Autumn. Nothing of value downstairs in our house - no large flat screen TV, reasonably old iMac (attached to all sorts of wizardry thanks to EDdaddy) but did get keys to our car and used the car to empty 2 other houses in the same night. Bastards. I do hope you don't think this is the norm for ED though - most of us are lovely - really. The lesson is - we ALL need to be safety conscious - put on that dead lock!

[Asset]

May I just recommend hinge bolts also. It's all very well having fabulous security on one side of the door and then having flimsy hinges on the other that with a swift kick would send the door in.

Hinge bolts are cheap to buy, easy to fit and could make the difference.

(they are sort of knobby things that stick out of the door jamb and fit into holes in the door when the door is closed)

[flong]

Asset Wrote:

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

> May I just recommend hinge bolts also. It's all

> very well having fabulous security on one side of

> the door and then having flimsy hinges on the

> other that with a swift kick would send the door

> in.

> Hinge bolts are cheap to buy, easy to fit and

> could make the difference.

> (they are sort of knobby things that stick out of

> the door jamb and fit into holes in the door when

> the door is closed)

Yep, the flat upstairs had them, and the door didn't give way even when given a hell of a hammering.

[Michael Palaeologus]

A security bar helps as well. Its a strip of steel that fits over the Yale lock and is screwed into place. It secures the lock against somebody trying to barge their way in.

[ct]

MP

Are you able to expand on what you mean. I can't work it out sorry. You dont have a link to something like what you describe?

[Jeremy]

A bit like one of these?

http://www.londonbar.co.uk/

[Caron]

God, that's really shocking and awful. YOu poor thing. Once you've been broken into once, you need to be doubly vigilant as thieves come back once the insurance replacements have been delivered, as I found to my cost while living up in NW10. We must all keep our wits about us. Thank you so much for warning everyone on the forum.

[MrBen]

Would advise everyone to keep an eye out - there must be a spate on! Our building (victorian flats) was broken into on Sunday.

They buzzed all the buzzers of the flats first asking for a false name to determine who was in then forced the groundfloor sash window with a hammer and chisel and took passports, tickets and booze. And this all happened about 7pm on Sunday night when I was in the flat above. I actually unwittingly spoke to the guy (Jamaican accent asking for "Roger" ) that must have done it over the intercom.

We are fitting new locks and a security light. Most of us are in now anyway over christmas and are getting prepared for them coming back. And I now have a Mossberg semi automatic shotgun which should do the trick next time. Makes a bit of a mess but better than a deadlock as has a longer lasting effect.

[cazkid]

be sure to not leave keys lying on tables within reach of the letterbox

heard of a few burglaries where people have had rods stuck through their letterboxes and keys stolen

also the use the keys to break in while your asleep!

and your car!

its about time we had organised an enforced Neighbourhood watch in palce

[joey]

Just wanted to add our story to the growing list - we were burgled on 6th December. We live on Colpeston Road. Similar thing by the sound of it - smashed a very solid wooden door up with a hammer / crow bar at some point in the evening. Took the new TV, digital camera, laptop and external hard drive etc.

I also just wanted to spread the word about LockSure Security. We found them in the yellow pages and they sent someone round within half an hour of us calling. The guy, Martin, did a brilliant job and we cannot fault them in any way. Their number is 0800 35 79 999 but I sincerely hope that no one reading this has to call them in an emergency. Definitely worth getting them round to sort out some extra locks etc though.

[lozzyloz]

Be careful not to advertise your new gifts/purchases by displaying the empty boxes outside your home for refuse pick up. Put them out on the day of collection or take them as a job lot to your local recycling center.

Perhaps those folk on the cat watch could also do a cat burglar watch too!