We woz robbed.

Sorry to hear that Oggy.
Shame you are in a different part of the country from. Burglar alarms is what I do for a living.

If you need any advice, give me a nod.

Sounds like you were quite lucky though.

When we were broken into a few years back they nicked the choccie bars from the cupboard and we found a trail of wrappers down the garden path. Oh, and my beer from the fridge.

Just as well the addicts were as stupid as they were desperate. As Stefan says: glad you weren't hurt.

Also glad you didn't wake-up and confront them otherwise they might have got hurt and you really would be in trouble.

Regards,

Andrew

Thanks for all the kind comments.

What really surprises me is my own reaction to the incident. Normally I would be the first to advocate the birch, but this time I keep finding myself thinking how awful it must be to fetch up in a position where you have to do things like this.

Nope...it'd be the birch every time as far as I'm concerned

Start looking at the lifestyles some burglars actually have, it is not as bad as you think.

The law is actually pretty clear on self-defence, you're allowed to use reasonable force if you believe that your life is in danger (as anyone would when confronted with an intruder in their home). That can include hefting a makeshift weapon, however it needs to be something that a normal person might have in their house and grab in such a situation (no battleaxes!). Personally I find that I tend to leave the pole I use for opening the upper half of sash windows by my bedroom door, older people may find that they habitually leave a walking stick there...

What you are not allowed to do is shoot them in the back while they're running away, or chase them down the street into someone else's garden and then beat them to a pulp (to quote two infamous cases). Self defence ends when the assailant has gone flying out of your door with their Kappa shell suit turning an unpleasant shade of brown!

I love that!!

I keep an aerosol deodorant beside the bed. Squirt it into their eyes and they can't see me whipping them with my belt!!

I too add my comiserations and also my relief that no-one was hurt.....the only time it happened to us was the day we moved into our little cafe in 1976.Whilst we took the van back they kicked open the back door and robbed the slot machine,charity box,and took whatever they could jam into our still packed suitcases - ie a Gretsch copy guitar,a stereo,a BSA Airsporter and other stuff.
They left my .410 AYA shotgun and I let it be known locally that if they returned for it they could have it ball by ball !I was also told by the local bobby that I would be in trouble if I used either of my replica pistols and blanks as I would be " putting the perp in fear of his life "???? I said I would prefer to argue the toss on a Monday morning in court rather than stark naked with a nutter at at 3-00 in the morning.
As a retired chef I have lots & lots of BIG knives in the house,rolling pins and a VERY loud shout.I also have the odd golf club around too.
Apart from that - my missus in her rollers would scare the cr*p out of any unsuspecting robber however "high" he was - lol - and runs !!!!!

Tony

We were broken in some years ago, during the night. My wife heard noise and woke me up. I found a young fellow trying to open the desk drawers in my office. I hit him with my wife's wheelchair footrest. Didn't know they made such good weapons...

Good on you Yves.......................if they are not invited in then they should lose ALL their so called Human Rights.

Tony

Thats terrible .. but it did make me laugh that they took a couple of pouches of baccy and £10 .. while leaving a few grands worth of camera and lenses.

Obviously kids ... older burglers in the 50s would have heard of the name Pentax .. they probably just dismissed it as old worthless camera gear.

Sorry .. my sense of humour again ...

I agree Tony.
They CHOOSE to enter my home. I have no say in the matter. If they knowingly enter my property then they choose to loose their so called "rights".

Enough of your sadisms Father Ted

Shame most of our "esteemed" politicians and lawmakers have never found themselves in a similar position,or they might just be a little more sympathetic to the rights of the victims and not the perpetrators.

Where`s vjshutterbug and his trusty sidearm when you need him ??

Tony