Unwanted visitor

and always keep ypur mobile with you, in the garden etc etc mines nearly always in my pocket.

OMG! I think I might have died of fright on the spot. Am a stickler for locking doors. (but then leave windows open )

My house backs onto open fields and I always keep the doors and windows at the back locked. The lock on one of the kitchen windows broke the other day and although the window catches are very secure I was happy that my wonderful brother in law called in this morning to fit a new one!

Back gate is always locked unless I'm using it to take stuff out and I always lock the back door unless I am actually near enough to see it but lock it if I have to go elsewhere in the house...

Many years ago we had gone to Burghley horse trials for the day and came back to a note in the kitchen from one of DD's friends thanking us for letting her esit at our house for her parents to pick up after her lunchtime shift at the village pub. When I next saw her I asked if I had left the back door unlocked or how had she got in. She laughed and said Oh no it wasn't exactly unlocked it was wide open!

All good advice but I do feel sad that we should have to think about our doors in those terms.

Thank goodness he was harmless! Keep doors locked but make sure family or friends have a key for emergencies. We had one of those last autumn when both out shopping and our burglar alarm went off annoying the entire neighbourhood for the whole afternoon! One brave neighbour had a recce and there was no sign of a break in and contacted my dog sitter friend who lets Grace out if we are out all day. She has the code so was able to switch it off and calm the distraught dog. The culprit? Door from utility to garage not quite shut and a gust of wind had dislodged it enough to trip the alarm.

Number Frightening but he might just have been pissed. It does make sense to keep any side entrances or doors locked when you are at home or in the garden. Which advice I do not always follow.

Always leave a key near the inside of your main "escape" doors, but well out of view and inaccessible via the letter box. This could be life saver in case of an emergency.

Our spare door key is tied on a cord so you can open the door but not then easily wander off with the key in your pocket.

AND - keep the back door locked when you are answering a call at the front door. It's known that a bogus caller will keep the householder talking while an accomplice comes in at the back door and makes off with portable valuables.

Worth logging this with the police, number, in case he was a chancer who does this regularly. If you hadn't been there would he have taken the opportunity to go further in your house?

Yes please people, lock your back door, even when your in the garden. Mum's neighbours were robbed while they sat drinking tea in the garden as they had left the back door open.

A bit of a scary situation number

Oh, that's a bit frightening. I always keep the back gate and door locked unless I am outside in the garden. Glad no harm was done.