burglar caught (well, sort of)

[shoshntosh]

well, sort of. i was sitting here at my very desk typing last thursday morning around 9.15am when i heard our fence gate click (which means someone should be approaching our door). when no one rang the bell i popped my head to out to discover a man breaking into our shed (which is in front of our house, we live on tyrrell road just off barry rd). coincidentally my husband's bike was stolen from the very same shed at the very same time the week before, so i have no doubt the guy was coming back to get my bike. i think he was well shocked to see my in my dressing gown with bedhair shouting "what the h*ll are you doing? get the 8%@^ out of here!" because he rushed right past me and hopped our low fence before taking off.

police came and dusted for prints etc. but have already closed the case due to insufficient evidence. (big surprise there).

i know these burglaries are so commonplace it's almost boring to post a thread about it (and it's not like he exposed his cockle or anything), but i just wanted to remind people how brazen these crooks can be. QUARTER PAST NINE ON A THURSDAY MORNING, JUST OUTSIDE MY FRONT DOOR? that is b.o.l.d.

p.s. for some reason i thought a burglar would look all hopped up on drugs, but he was just a regular-looking guy

[matthew123]

Well, I was in West Dulwich just after 5.30 this afternoon, on Croxted Road near the train station. A schoolboy ran across the road and asked could I call the Police. He'd just been mugged in broad daylight by a youth who'd stopped him and took his mobile phone and ipod before speeding off by bike. The kid was a bit shaken up but still managed to give Police a good description of the scumbag who will hopefully soon be put behind bars.

[ratty]

not much chance of that happening sadly

[ayresc]

I'm on Tyrrell also and aware of some dodgy looking guys walking down the street during the day. We're going to ensure the side door through to the garden is extra secure, asking for truoble though if your shed is within sight.

Thankfully there seem to be enough residents on Tyrrell Rd who work from home etc in the day so worth keeping eyes peeled.

[Strawbs]

Im on Ferris but admittedly are not home during the day so havent seen any.. Just about to move to a ground floor so this kind of thing worries me a bit.. Razor wire it is!! Ba$tards..

[Jeremy]

This is London - there are dodgy guys and burglaries in all areas!

[James]

Description?

[shoshntosh]

description: thin, tall, about 20 yrs old maybe, light-skinned black guy. facial hair, like a thin goatee type. wearing a grey tracksuit, cotton jersey (not nylon poly shell suit), trainers, hair very big and bushy, like a long afro with a ponytail at the top. as i say, he didn't seem on drugs (like other dodgy guys we've seen around here) he seemed completely normal.

oh, and one more thing... esp for those living on tyrrell road. has anyone else wondered about the "painter" who has been painting the outside of some houses/flats near the garage (barry road end)? because not only has he offered me drugs and pirated DVDs, i suspect that he is watching our comings and goings.

thoughts?

[lenk]

Let's get him!

[thexwinglessxbird]

shoshntosh Wrote:

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

> i know these burglaries are so commonplace it's

> almost boring to post a thread about it (and it's

> not like he exposed his cockle or anything), but i

> just wanted to remind people how brazen these

> crooks can be. QUARTER PAST NINE ON A THURSDAY

> MORNING, JUST OUTSIDE MY FRONT DOOR? that is

> b.o.l.d.

Lol!! That is exactly what I wanted to say. How stupid are these guys?! Shocked?! ... REALLY?!!

A friend of ours was just broken into the night before you too. I'm glad to hear you caught the bastard before anything was stolen. I pass alot of houses where alot of people seem to put their front rooms on display, & if they were broken into, I hope they wouldn't be suprised; it's as though they are asking for it! I think people really need to question how secure their property is & decrease their chances of this happening.

[matthew123]

Great description shoshntosh

My first experience of crime when arriving in London was someone looking through a neighbour's letterbox, the chirpy crook then engaged me with a few words about his friend still being asleep on a Sunday afternoon... came back 20 minutes later from shopping and my front door had been kicked off it's hinges! He too was wearing a tracksuit... only thing I'm surprised about now is that people still dress up like Gazza!

[anonymous_third_part]

why would you keep bikes in a shed without a good lock on at the front of your house?

[MsDulwich]

I had a similar looking guy who was loitering outside my window and hanging around mine and neighbouring properties.

He was acting very suspicious and did not post anything or visit anyone in particular.

Description wise he was slim, mixed race young man about 20- 28 years, 5ft 8 to 6ft, with a bunch at the back of his head, wearing a grey stripy jumper, holding a basketball ball and wearing gloves (on a hot day with temperatures of approximately 22 to 24?C)!! Sounds like the same guy!

I reported him to Dulwich Wardens to make them aware.

[treetoad]

Put a ground anchor in the shed and buy a thatcham approved chain. Keep a small pot, preferrably light plastic, of gloss housepaint by the window. Choose a very odd colour like lime green or hot pink...you see where I'm going with this, I'm sure.