What is it with thieving little sods who think it's perfectly ok to steal other people's belongings?

We've been having an extension built to make life easier for my daughter. In order to get all their gear in and out of the back, the builders come in through my son's back garden. Last Wednesday the gate was accidentally left open and three young scumbags broke into our shed. Luckily it is alarmed and it must have scared them off. But we had to buy a new padlock because they took the old one. What earthly use it is to them I don't know.

Then this lunchtime, the decorator was going off for his lunch and found another thieving sod trying to break into the shed. He gave chase in his van but the lad (who he said looked about thirteen) must have ducked into one of the houses around the corner. I don't think it's even worth reporting to the police but it's turned me into a paranoid wreck. I know I'll be at the back bedroom window half the night waiting for them to come back!

Grrr!! I hate living here almost as much as I hate thieves!

Misty what ever you do ,don't go out on your own if they are in your garden.
I would let the police know, so they can keep an eye on the area.

I can't remember the last time I saw even a mickey mouse officer patrolling our streets, Wendy. I might report it online see if I get a response.

Yes log it on line, then if anything does happen you can always say I did tell you about this problem.

There is no point reporting the crime as it will no doubt go on file and and forgotten about. Then maybe one day if you are lucky in about sixteen years they might get around to it, but only if your lucky that is i don't want to build your hopes up.

Its always worthwhile reporting a crime if only to keep the numbers to a level indicative of the true amount of crime around.

The police lack of response has led to a ludicrous situation over the years whereby their inefficency (and misclassification of crimes) has led to people not bothering to report crimes therefore making them look efficient.

If I were you Misty I would insist they record TWO cases of ATTEMPTED BURGLARY. Don't let them fob you off with one case of trespass, criminal damage or youths causing annoyance.

Mandy is absolutely right. Not reporting a crime because of inefficiency within a police force will only be counterproductive. It could even get to the stage where the most ineffective police forces have the best crime figures due to the victims of crime not reporting them because of a lack of trust in the police. This is NOT the way crime figures should work. If the police aren't doing their job, it needs to be shown that they aren't doing their job.

Also, you have a civic duty to report the crime for the sake of others in your area. If the police are aware of a crime problem and they don't take measures to deal with it, the responsibility is with the police. If you don't report it, the police are unaware of a problem and the responsiblity is with you.

I agree, report it, no matter how little you think may be done. There may be other reports in the area, and after so many the police may act. Afterall, as Gary said, how can they act if they don't know there is a problem.

I feel sorry for you, just don't let it get you down. I had the same problem not so long ago myself but with an old bike in my back garden. Two scumb bags come through my back gate at night and attempted to steal the bike. Funny thing was it had no back wheel and the clowns ditched it outside the gate. The moral decay of society has drugs and dole heads to blame (excluding of course those that actually deserve it). Also counting boredom although i fail to see the excitment of stealing somone else's things.

ah well, such is life.

Misty to stop such a thing happening again, why not make it harder for these little bee's by investing in one of these;

Siren Alarm Padlock