Harringay, Haringey - So Good they Spelt it Twice!
Burglary last night on the Ladder
Hello
My neighbour and I were broken into yesterday, between 2pm - 7pm. We live in flats in a converted house on the Ladder.
He/they (or even she) were not deterred by all the morticed locked doors. They kicked both my and my neighbour's doors in with some crowbar help.
If you have any sash windows, please do make sure they are secure and locked. It was unfortunate that the bottom flat still had one original sash window looking out over the garden which was no trouble for them to prise open (their entry in and exit out).
My advice to everyone is to not hide valuables in your sock drawer or your desk because clearly that's the first and only places they looked in both flats. Nothing else was surprisingly touched. (They took particular attention to my knicker drawer!) Unfortunately I had some money and ID docs in my desk drawer and they took them all (argh!) but nothing else. They did grab my TV but whether they were disturbed or just changed their mind, they strangely left it in another room.
Try and hide vaulables in the kitchen or even the bathroom, and not altogether either (unlike me).
If you have more than one lock on your door, use it. They still managed to get in, but another lock would at least have slowed them down.
The police advised too to leave a radio on and have a timed light to go on just to give the impression someone is around.
I do hope this was a one off and no one else will experience the same, but alas in these times I think that is hopeful thinking. So please be vigilant.
And if by any chance you are the burglar(s) and are reading this (as it's possible they are locals themselves) then Merry Christmas, have a drink on me with the money you stole - and choke on it!
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by matt on
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If you own your flat I suggest you install an alarm. You can try Dariush at Securebase in Finchley if you like or, if you rent the flat purchase and install an alarm yourself from Maplin in Wood Green. The second option is cheaper. Unfortunately burglars don't seem to be deterred by timer lights etc
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Permalink Reply by Justine on
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Really sorry to hear this. I live on the ladder and we were burgled a few months ago. It's horrible.
I keep meaning to buy some timers for the lamps. Will do it now!
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Thanks Justine. We won't let these buggers get us down! Hope you've been able to get over your own incident.
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Permalink Reply by Maddy on
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Really sorry to hear that - it happened to me a few months ago and I now have an alarm.
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Permalink Reply by Paul on
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Gutted for you.
My neighbour got broken into as well so I got an alarm fitted a couple of weeks ago. I paid £600 for a good wireless alarm - sensors, front and back boxes etc. Friendly nice guy who came highly recommeded. His name is Michael 07957-366053. Will be a lot cheaper I imagine if you live in a flat as well. I know he was away till the weekend so call him early next week. I know you can buy them cheaper at maplins and screwfix, but I am not a techie. Good luck.
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Permalink Reply by pamish on
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Chaining a computer to a pipe here would more likely result in a flood. Better to install something like this if your floor can take it, or it can bolt to the wall.
And back up, back up, to a separate drive that lives in the shed or at work.
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Thanks to everyone above who has been so kind and generous with their support and advice.
The Met's Harringay Safer Neighbourhoods Team (020 8721 2667) told me that there were only three burglaries reported in our area in as many weeks. Still three too many, but reassuring that it's not an epidemic in our area.
However, do please consider the following to protect your goods and your identity:
www.immobilise.com Take half an hour during the holidays to note the serial numbers of your TV/PC/mobile and any other electrical items and enter them on this very easy-to-use website. It won't guarantee any protection, but your goods can be tracked down if found (and may implicate the thief!)
www.preyproject.com (thanks Veggie Reggie for this one). Download a piece of free software to your PC/Mac/mobile and if it is stolen you can track where it is and may even see the thief using it on your webcam! Will take you five mins to do. Well worth it.
www.CIFAS.co.uk - if you're a victim of identity theft you should sign up to this not-for-profit independent company. For £14.40 a year CIFAS will monitor your records across 1000s of companies and will alert you if a credit check or anything else using your ID is made. Experian's www.protectmyid.co.uk and www.equifax.co.uk are also worth signing up to for a monthly fee.
For stolen passports you will need to fill in an LS01 form to cancel it but only once you have got a police crime report reference number. You can find the links to this form and a renewal form at the www.direct.gov.uk website. www.direct.gov.uk/en/TravelAndTransport/Passports/Loststolenordamag...
The Harringay SN team also advised not to hide any valuables in your bedroom. As was in my case it is the first place a burglar looks.
And if you have beautiful original Victorian Sash windows especially on the ground floor, do make sure they have proper key locks and Sash Window stoppers on them.
Don't be scared, and as Nick Ross used to say don't have nightmares ... but please do be vigilant and protected.
BME
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