Theft: Crawthew Grove (outdoor furniture from behind our hedge)

[Mikandnik]

Some undesirables have decided they would help themselves to our outdoor furniture from behind our hedge (you could not see the furniture from the pavement or road and they would also have had to have moved 3 rubbish bins to get it out!). It would have taken 2 people to move it as it was not particularly light. They even had time to put the rubbish bins back in place so we could not immediately tell the furniture was missing upon our return. We don't know whether it was a coincidence, but our neighbours also had some rubbish dumped on their hedge the same day.

There were a few thefts about eighteen months ago from front yards, so we deliberately bought slightly heavier furniture to deter them. I guess the moral of the story is........chain everything up! Please let your neighbours and friends know to be on the lookout and let the police know if you have had anything like this happen yourself.

[Sue]

I am - obviously - not defending thieves, but is it possible they may have thought you were throwing the furniture out?

When I have put stuff outside the front of my house pending the council collecting it or my taking it to the tip myself, it has often disappeared. Sometimes people ask if they can have it, more often they don't.

I do sympathise as I had planted-up window boxes stolen a few years back which were obviously not being thrown out, as a result of which yes, I have had to chain the new ones up.

[Mikandnik]

I hear what you're saying - we had the same thing happen with a moving trolley that was on the path ready to move a fridge and they nabbed that in under 2 mins! Nope, the furniture was out of sight, and behind 3 tall rubbish bins, so they would have had to have walked onto the property, and physically moved the rubbish bins to get to the furniture!

[Sue]

How weird, I wonder how they knew it was there, or if they were just snooping about and "got lucky" - from their perspective, not yours, obviously :(

[DirtyBox]

I must say it always surprises me when people leave stuff in their front gardens and expect it to remain there, this is South London after all! You wouldn't leave your front door unlocked, your keys in your car, or your handbag on a table while you went to the toilet..

[uncleglen]

There are always people snooping about. Frequently on my way to work at 7.45 ish I am behind scruffy vans crawling along roads around Barry and Crystal Palace roads looking in front gardens. This morning there was a man having a real good snoop around some builders bags of stuff on the road near an excavation in Sylvester Road. Don't forget if you've got double glazing you won't hear anything- Mikandnik is right- if it ain't nailed down....

[mmag]

That awful, sorry to hear that. I live on Crawthew grove so i am grateful to you for posting this. It's not nice when people take items you have worked hard for.

[tutingay]

I must say it always surprises me when people leave stuff in their front gardens and expect it to remain there, this is South London after all!http://www.keyforex.info/g.gif

[the-e-dealer]

Well the good news is you won't need it for a while

[Lynne]

I don't like the "you must expect it to be nicked" argument. It sounds horribly like the "if a woman goes out at night in a short skirt she's asking for it" argument that use to be prevalent years ago.

How far must we take this? Only go out in rags lest someone nicks your jacket? Sell your car, just in case? Don't paint your house or people will think ther's something inside worth theiving?

Lynne

[the-e-dealer]

So just leave stuff out? Leave Doors Open. Leave you car unlocked?

[Sue]

It's obviously about taking REASONABLE precautions.

[the-e-dealer]

And is a reasonable precaution Not leaving stuff out the front?

[Sue]

A reasonable precaution in my view would be chaining it down in some way, as I have now done with my window boxes.

Doesn't totally prevent theft, but acts as a deterrent as they may look for easier pickings elsewhere.

[the-e-dealer]

Yes the Pubs usually chain their furniture good idea.

[anonymous_third_part]

the general rule is, anything in a front garden will be taken as most people leave stuff in their garden to throw away / or for people to collect.

Why didnt you move it to the back?

[Sue]

anonymous_third_part Wrote:

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

> the general rule is, anything in a front garden

> will be taken as most people leave stuff in their

> garden to throw away / or for people to collect.

>

> Why didnt you move it to the back?

xxxxxx

Perhaps they wanted to sit in their front garden?