Nightmare and Dangerous neighbours, help please.

paintpot

About 12 months ago I had an issue with one of my rental properties with antisocial behaviour by a neighbours kids. Similarly their property backed onto mine and they were always climbing over the fence to use the back garden of my rental property as a short cut.

Anyway, on one occasion I had to ring the police and I met them at the house. I asked them about putting barbed wire or similar on the top of the fence and they told me it was legal if the fence is a certain height or higher, only I can't remember what that was, something like 6ft, or 8ft. In the end, after the police spoke to the family the problem was resolved so I didn't need to resort to drastic measures.

The police will have a crime prevention department, you could give them a call and ask. Alternatively, maybe some sort of pointy trellice on the top could be an option although it might be easily broken off.

Obviously keep your doors locked all the time but another thought, if you have a burglar alarm, mine has a facility to set a chime on the doors where there are sensors on. Therefore, if you do forget to lock the door and are upstairs, if you hear the chime you will know somone has entered the house. Although I guess your dogs are as effective as a chime with their barking.

You can also get cheap cctv systems.

Good luck.

PasturesNew

I'd second the prickly bush solution. pyrocanthus

http://homemanagement.suite101.com/article.cfm/prickly_plants_prevent_crime

"Northamptonshire Police have a few surprising words of advice for the nervous householder who is scared of intruders on their property. Rather than build walls around yourself, which can make one feel like a prisoner, plant some prickly bushes as hedges or at strategic locations."

huntersc

Buy a bigger dog. A much bigger dog. Failing that build a pond and put an alligator in it.

Seriously, I would put barbed wire up. You could always ask te police about it I suppose.

London05

I get really angry when the Police just wash their hands of these problems, my husband was in the Met for 30 years from 1975 and one of the reasons he retired as soon as his 30 years were up was that the new style Police Service rather than Police Force as was are just not up to the job. The Courts don't help either how many times do you want to bail criminals ( sorry alleged criminals)

Get onto your Councillor and Local MP, if other neighbours are affected get them to help. If the Police damaged your property make a claim against them and if they fail to act make an official complaint. I understood the government said carrying a knife was punishable by imprisonment.

I would definately go for the prickly bush option and maybe borrow an attack trained Alsation!

Otherwise your only hope is that they OD sometime soon (yes I know very callous)

olly300

The prickly hedge solution is the way to go. It's legal and it's painful.

BTW the police may be able to give you information on the plants you can use. You really need to find out how fast growing they are as you will need to prune them wearing thick gloves.

Davesnave

Pyracantha is probably among the fastest growing prickly shrubs. Blackthorn and berberis are some other alternatives in the shrub line. The fastest growing prickly plant is St Mary's Thistle (Silybum marianum) which you can get from Chiltern Seeds, but this grows in the spring & summer. It self-seeds too. Climbing roses are faster than the shrubs above, but need some support.

I use a carpet gripper on top of my gate. The last thief we chased out of the garden fell over a big planter and hurt himself, so putting the gripper on the gate is, arguably, protecting these idiots from themselves.

50plusabit

EliteHeat wrote: »

I'm pretty sure that you can’t use barbed wire, broken glass, mains electricity or anything else that may harm someone who is exercising his right to make your life hell.

What these scum need is a short, sharp dose of good old fashioned community service followed by a vigorous regime of counselling. That should sort the problem out.

And when the counseling is finished, maybe you could take them to the seaside for an ice cream !!!!!!! Tho only old fashioned thing they need is a birch.

So the police say that drug users are scared of lights, well maybe we can save some money and replace the police with security lights !

Seeing both times he has been in your house armed, I would be very security conscious, !!!!!! the rights of the scum that exists behind you, you have every right as a human being to protect yourself.
Find out if they are renting, chances they are and getting all their rent paid by us the tax payer.
Good Luck

Davesnave

50plusabit wrote: »

And when the counseling is finished, maybe you could take them to the seaside for an ice cream !!!!!!! Tho only old fashioned thing they need is a birch.

So the police say that drug users are scared of lights, well maybe we can save some money and replace the police with security lights !

Seeing both times he has been in your house armed, I would be very security conscious, !!!!!! the rights of the scum that exists behind you, you have every right as a human being to protect yourself.
Find out if they are renting, chances they are and getting all their rent paid by us the tax payer.
Good Luck

They do say that irony travels badly on the Internet.

Welshwoofs

Buy one of these:



It's a Neapolitan Mastiff; a guard breed. They don't go so much for mauling, but use their weight to pin down intruders.

My Neo (the photo isn't of my boy) doesn't let anyone 'unapproved' near the house and when he rears up on his hind legs he's over 6ft (he also weighs 75kgs). Although he's as soft as butter with kids (toddlers hang off his neck) and anyone who I tell him is ok, I can guarantee that anyone attempting to enter my gardens or house without approval will need a change of underwear.

Either that or try chucking little baggies of caustic soda over the fence

GracieP

Addiscomber wrote: »

http://www.livesafe.co.uk/Prikka-Strip_webpage.htm even has a police endorsement.


This is not the only place that it is available from - Google anti burglar strips and check prices.

When we had problems with neighbours coming into our garden the police actually gave us several strips of this stuff. If you are going to get prickly bushes I recommend looking on ebay as some garden companies sell them for reasonable prices.