Robbery... again....not sure how many more times I want to go through this...

[Wile E. Coyote]

Wile, you may well be right about make it harder. We've never been broken into so I can't really comment. However several friends have and their alarms have gone off, some connected to the Police. The thieves were gone by the time anyone got there. These were all in the evenings when the folk were out, not sure what would happen if someone broke in whilst you were asleep.

 

Sometimes scaring them off can be good enough...albeit it leaves you with some damage to sort out.  

 

Most alarm systems these days let you set an "at home" level so that you can have, for example, your doors and downstairs sensors live whilst you're asleep.

 

Take your point about lighting.  Going somewhere properly dark you see some stunning things in the sky.  Remember camping out in one place where there was no sky glow whatsoever and the number of stars you could see was phenomenal.

[User0083]

Sorry to joke about, but why not get a infrared sensor that sets off a big speaker with the sound of a revving chainsaw!

[User0083]

Take your point about lighting. Going somewhere properly dark you see some stunning things in the sky. Remember camping out in one place where there was no sky glow whatsoever and the number of stars you could see was phenomenal.

This is the biggest thing I miss about home. The night sky's so black and there's so many stars. Here it's a dull grey and hardly any stars.

[Norman Verona]

Wile, we have fantastic night skies most nights. The nearest town or village lights will be about 15 miles away.

 

We had one of the early ADT call centre operated alarms. That could be set for each zone. Now, I may appear to be stupid but I could never get the hang of this thing and would trigger a phone call to see what was wrong. We had one installed when we moved to the house in Yorkshire. When the prices went up we cancelled and managed without it. Nearest thing to a robbery was someone broke a window presumably to see if the keys to a car were in reach. My car was taken away twice. Once round the corner to the field below the Police house where they ripped out the stereo and built in phone and the other time it was towed away. The milkman saw it being towed by a Transit and didn't do anything as he assumed it was the AA towing it away, at 4:30 in the morning! It was recovered next day as the local bobbies had a good idea who had nicked it. He did time for it.

 

Paul H says that we should cut their hands off.

 

Many years ago, must be 20 now, there was a discussion on PM (radio 4) about how to stop petty crime such as break ins. A well spoken gentleman in the studio said "You should do what we do in our country and cut the left hand off repeat offenders" A, what sounded like, a middle age Conservative lady, was horrified and exclaimed "That's barbaric". He calmly responded with "But you'll only have to amputate 2 or 3 and the message will get through and theft will be a thing of the past". I thought it may be considered barbaric but so is having your home violated by someone who needs to steal from others.

[jeff oakley]

We had some bikes stolen off a roof rack, they were locked on and weren't easy to remove.

 

The police crime prevention officer insisted that he came out and had a look, god knows why as I showed him an empty roof. He said what ever precauitions you take if they want something badly enough they will steal it. He had two mountain bikes stolen from an alarmed garage, where they were chained to an anchor point. All you do is make the task so difficult that they go elsewhere.

 

But here is a thought, how many on here have bought goods so cheap that they might have been stolen? This is the only way that thiefs get the cash by selling to those who knowingly fence the goods or those who don't care enough to question it. If they have no where to sell the goods then they have no outlet for them.

 

I would treat the culprits much harsher than the slap wrist style we are told to understand as it is harder than jail. But that is because jail is too soft. No TV breaking rocks for no purpose witha toffee hammer would be my way, until the Muslims get power and we can look forward to hands being chopped off.

 

Seeing as your are in an agricultural area, I recall reading about the system that fires cartridges very loud and creates smoke so they cannot see. Use those with a man trap.

[Norman Verona]

Jeff, the Islamic form of punishment seems to work. A friend of mine was working in Jeddah. He was in a big store and came out walked down the road into another store and found his wallet wasn't in his pocket. He went to the Police Station to report it lost/stolen. They asked if he had been back to the first store and looked for it. He laughed but went back and there against the wall was his wallet with all his cards and cash still intact. It was explained that no one would pick it up for fear of being accused of stealing it.

 

Can you imagine that happening outside Selfridges? 

[Norman Verona]

James, any updates?

 

I guess you've been out replacing the stolen gear and reporting to the Police and Insurance.

 

Have a nice meal with a few jars and relax tonight. You can't put the clock back so whatever you do don't let it get you down.

[Nick Algar - Competition Secretary]

Steel container inside the barn is probably the best way to go. but they can even get into them unfortunately. Sorry to say but until the law of this country is changed and thieves get real punishment then this will continue.   

[User0083]

As I said in first post, horses!

James has horses that were spooked and upset last time. Yes it's money and livelihood. A few chainsaws is nothing compared to upset James would be over the safety of his horses.

This has been a topic of discussion with every phone call Mrs C has had today, I'm fortunate in that I've only had stuff re distributed by my fellow soldiers during relocation... Every time I move cd's, DVD's, a laptop, military uniform, boots... Etc get swiped. Once I went through insurance but such a pain in the A*** I gave up and cancelled kit insurance. Only time I used it in 5yrs it was a waste of time!

Then a car. My mini, started as a 998, I swapped to a 1275, then 1275 cooper, then a 1320 stage 3 (roller cams, head, flywheel, crank, pistons... Everything), then a 1480 MG Metro Turbo engine, had it set up on RR and 182bhp. Day after I was woken up by my engine revving, jumped out of bed, ran outside to watch the obvious under steer on first corner and car end up in someone's front garden and almost in their living room. Driver was forcibly removed and beaten up more than the car. Then police called, semi conscious driver sat on by house owner (big fat farmer type) then the insurance... As I had car in my possession it was stolen/returned and was a big of a ball ache getting claim sorted. Home owner had issues too as the kid that rammed into his house was a minor!

The story was purposely long winded to illustrate the long winded process James is going to have to go through now. Which is worse than the initial theft and cost.

Hope all gets resolved and I actually can't believe the balls it took to steal chainsaws off a tree surgeon built like "Desperate Dan"!

[dombanks]

That's just **** ... People have no respect or values anymore.

[alexander72]

Evening friends, well i'm back from the day job caring for the environment baby sitting in Didcot.... (Jacko will know what I mean) and I can say that the horses are fine (all four of them), the police have a named suspect who is a member of the caravan club and an ethnic minority I believe (probably on channel 4 tonight at a wedding where everyone is painted orange), the roof is back on the barn.  

 

So i'm only 14,000 quid down at the moment compared to monday - Insurance forms are here and as everyone says it's only metal....

 

I will be climbing on Saturday and Blatting on Sunday and I have great family around me and terrific support from you lot - MANY THANKS

 

Cherry - thanks for the text and the kind words.

 

Container is on order as all saws were locked together but when you have oxy-acetalene.....

 

Cheers brothers

 

James 

[GDH]

For the non harmful but really inconvenient for your thieves  try real Gentian violet  dye leave some around for them to find ...  if you can get it on them  everything they touch  they will go dark purple and stay that way.....It does not wash off .   It should end up all over there belongings.   Real Gentian violet is non toxic.

A  small can locked up with interesting warnings ( say indicating hallucinating effects)  with an invoice indicating high value should do the trick ....

The coppers might be able to identify a  thief with purple fingers.

 

Many years ago the flowers at the end of our road used to be systematically stolen every year.   We sprinkled the flowers very lightly with concentrated gentian violet powder.....the flowers have been unmolested ever since !

 

It may not help but it make you feel better.

[alexander72]

I like that GDH - violet is so my colour as well... 

[Nick PC]

Hi James This a real blow to a hard working person, who just wants to enjoy life. Would be good to attach the rope to the nice person's manhood and give it the beans in the x-flow.

At least you understand insurance, albeit on a far larger scale.

Are there any trees around the incampment that could fall over in the high winds tonight.

Pleased that the horses are OK

[jeff oakley]

All you need now James is the police to grow a pair and to take action. I do worry that this band of people seem to have been elevated to a position where they are untouchable. This week we had the case of police finding, by chance a £30k stolen caravan, but as the theiving b******d had a recipt saying he bought it for £300 they have not taken action. The owners now have to take a civil case to recover it as they are living in it.

 

We need to see the vast majority of these people for what they are, thieves who steal goods and services as they pay no tax and yet get the same health care as we do.

 

We need the police, to do their job without fear of violence and dogooders stopping them.