strangers and strange behaviour

on the back of Admin’s note about burglaries earlier i thought i’d let you know about a few strange things that have happened over the past couple of months...

i’ve noticed an increase in people “loitering” around the passage on Hewitt Road, and back in march it looked like there was some sort of “stake out” going on. i took a couple of pictures and noted the time it was (sat march 23 at around 10am) just in case i heard of any incidents.

fast forward to saturday just gone (19th may), and i noticed there were two guys directly outside my house (actually sitting on my wall). i opened the door and asked if i could help them, and they said they were waiting for one of their’s girlfriend. there’s no law against standing on the street, or even sitting on my wall, so i didn’t worry too much about it. about half an hour later i had to go to green lanes, and they were STILL there, so when i got back (10mins or so later) i took a picture of them- they’d moved to the north entrance to the passage by then. when i had another look some 10mins later they’d gone.

then, just now, (about 7pm monday 21 may) i heard a noise in my front garden, looked out the window and saw a pushbike leaning up against my open garden gate. when the door bell didn’t ring, as i was expecting, i opened the front door and found a young man (early 20s, black with short dreadlocks, dressed in black jogging pants and a hoody) bending down on my porch scooping up a load of money - probably £4-£500 in £10s and £20s. 

obviously i was a bit shocked, so i asked what he was doing in my house, to which he replied, “i’m not actually in your house” and he scuttled away saying “sorry about that” a couple of times. i wasn’t able to get a picture this time!

if i wasn’t going out i would have called 101, but my son and i have gone out for an appointment.

i’m posting this more as a warning to everyone to be aware and be careful - the next time i see something a bit weird i WILL be calling either 999 or 101.