burglary in Goodrich Road (December 01)

[lilolil]

My friend's sister was burgled the night before last in Goodrich Road. They managed to get in by using a broom through the cat flap and then unlocking the door.

What is worrying is that they stole her ipad which was beside her bed where her and her husband were sleeping.

Also last night, my friend who lives in dunstans road heard a bang and screamed frightening off intruders who had tried to gain entry by forcing the cat flap. The cat flap was found at the end of the garden.

Everyone needs to be more vigilant and hide bags and keys out of sight. Also to take keys out if the lock and make sure they are out of reach.

[Blueskies]

I woke at 04.50 this morning and although very sleepy am fairly sure I heard the keys in the lock jingling as if someone were trying to push them out of the lock from outside. We are behind wood vale.

Needless to say I will be removing keys from lock tonight and placing them away from door.

[duffy10]

wow - I can't believe people have the confidence to leave keys in the lock on the inside of an external door then go to bed !!!

[Blueskies]

Have done so all my life living in London, 30 plus years and never been burgled.. But clearly we have been fortunate, won't be doing this any more!

[ontheRye]

Lilolil's mail struck a chord

When we locked ourselves out, the front door defeated the locksmith but round the back a stick through the catflap to hook the keys out of the back door lock worked a treat. Needless to say we no longer leave the keys in the door.

[Ruskin]

I think the advice is to take all keys from locks and not to place within reach. Oh, and leaving keys on hall tables within a pole's reach of the letterbox is a bad idea too.

[mrsalachlan]

Many insurance companies demand that keys are removed from locks - you might well find that if you leave them in you are not covered. Worth checking your policy or you could be getting robbed twice.

[lane lover]

I agree with duffy10.

How people can go to bed while leaving keys in locks or within sight of the catflap or mailbox is beyond me. I am guessing its the same people that leave valuables in their car overnight and complain that it was stolen the next day.

Sorry to hear about the burglary: but many times it only takes a bit of common sense to prevent these incidents.

(am waiting for the "fire safely" emails, but there are many other places keys can be safely left)

[lilolil]

I have left the keys in my back door for the past 28 years ( I don't now) . I suppose that you are not expecting burglars in your back garden every day.

People who leave valuables on view in their cars on a public highway are indeed foolish. There is no comparison between the two.

[Mick Mac]

mrsalachlan Wrote:

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

> Many insurance companies demand that keys are

> removed from locks - you might well find that if

> you leave them in you are not covered. Worth

> checking your policy or you could be getting

> robbed twice.

That made me laugh - getting robbed by the insurance company. :~)

[Sue]

Whilst completely agreeing that leaving keys in the lock is not sensible burglar-wise, there is a potential issue with getting out of the house in case of a fire (as Lane Lover says).

I know this is a highly unlikely situation, but it is one my brother was in some years ago. He was staying at a friend's house overnight, she had locked the front door and put the keys somewhere, there was a fire and he couldn't get out.

Luckily they were able to get onto an outside balcony and call for help and a neighbour called the fire brigade.

So make sure you put the keys somewhere easily accessible by you, possibly in the dark/smoke, and that everybody in the house knows where they are :(

[Too Good To Be True]

I hang my keys on a hook behind a radiator very close to the front door. Neither visible nor accessible from the outside.

[jimbo1964]

We have a metal hood over the letterbox on the inside to stop miscreants peeping in.

[DulwichFox]

In a domestic situation (house) most fires start downstairs (ie kitchen) whilst the occupants

are upstairs in the bedrooms..

Opening an upstairs door is likely to result in a Flashover where the room you are in will combust instantly.

Escaping a fire through the front door is not a good idea.

DulwichFox.. Ex. Fire and Safety Officer. for Cable & Wireless operations..

[Sue]

DulwichFox Wrote:

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

> In a domestic situation (house) most fires start

> downstairs (ie kitchen) whilst the occupants

> are upstairs in the bedrooms..

>

> Opening an upstairs door is likely to result in a

> Flashover where the room you are in will combust

> instantly.

>

> Escaping a fire through the front door is not a

> good idea.

>

> DulwichFox.. Ex. Fire and Safety Officer. for

> Cable & Wireless operations..

xxxxxx

Foxy, the ED Harbinger of Doom and Despair :))

Fox, sometimes your only option to escape a fire is through the front door. Your only option apart from burning or choking to death.

I know what I'd do .....

[DulwichFox]

Sue Wrote:

>

> Fox, sometimes your only option to escape a fire

> is through the front door. Your only option apart

> from burning or choking to death.

>

> I know what I'd do .....

That may be true during the day. But then most people only lock their Front Door at night.

If you are downstairs , you probably have access to a back door, (which could be Locked )

You can also possibly get out through a window.

If you are trapped upstairs at night chances are that by the time you are aware of fire it will be too

late to evacuate via the stairs.

Easier just to know where your keys are.. I have 3 sets and I know where all my keys are all of the time.

Including my back door keys. and my window lock keys.

Not hard....

Foxy...

[Pugwash]

We also know where our front and back door keys are hidden - 2 separate places one near each exit. We have a fire route - climb out of back rear bedroom window onto kitchen extension and then 6 foot drop to floor. Possible exits out of other ist floor rooms but longer drops

[Sue]

DulwichFox Wrote:

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

>

> Easier just to know where your keys are.. I have

> 3 sets and I know where all my keys are all of the

> time.

> Including my back door keys. and my window lock

> keys.

>

xxxxxxx

You also need to make sure everybody in your house, including visitors, know where all the keys are.

Also, all very well knowing, but in a potentially very stressful and life-threatening situation, you might forget .....

[mynamehere]

I just saw CCTV images of a man on a bicycle riding onto a neighbour's forecourt to have very good look at his car at 5am on Sunday morning (the 8th of December). My neighbour found the imagine disturbing and it does underscore the various points on different threads that people are casing cars and houses for orchestrated planned thefts. No answers from me just another tiny piece to the puzzle. Upland Road FYI