My neighbour has stolen my wreath!

I'm sorry about all the things that have been stolen but I'm not sure one should make an accusation about who stole without firm evidence. Seeing a wreath like the stolen one is not robust evidence.

Perhaps this will put the thieves off?

Some years ago – in fact, a lot of years ago – I woke up one morning to find that during the night someone had dug up and taken away the standard roses and their supports from my front garden.

A few years ago one of our neighbours stole my 14 year old cat. We wondered why we hadn't seen her for a day or two when this woman from down the road told us she had our cat in her house and had been feeding her chicken and salmon etc. We demanded to take her home. A few days later the cat went missing again . Asked this neighbour t stop taking her in and feeding her, she wouldn't. The neighbour moved away a while later unknown to,us, taking our cat with her.

Sorry to hear of your terrible experience Elegran. Great you managed to cancel your cards but did you get your locks changed?
Remember he/she/they/it has your keys.

So sorry to hear that Elegran, and to everyone else who`ve had things taken. A few months ago, I left the key in our garage side door, in daylight, remembered 30 minutes later, but it had gone, daughter and SIL changed the lock and also put a padlock on for us. Nearly 5 years ago, nasty neighbour (he with the traffic cones and chains) stole our wheelie bin. We didn`t know that it was him, until a few weeks later when we saw it outside his back gate, still with our door number painted on it! By then we`d got a new one from the council, so didn`t say anything, but he still puts it out to be emptied, with his number stuck over our number, but ours is still visible, cheek!

The porch has a lot of glass so anyone on the lookout for easy pickings would see, in spite of it getting quite dim by that time. The automatic light would come on as they opened it, so they probably grabbed the purse and ran, shitting themselves as they went. I hope so.

Asking around my neighbours whether the (by then probably empty) purse had been flung into their gardens - (no) - I discovered that three weeks ago someone's keys were taken from a table inside the hall. Then they were used to drive off the car..

Elegran , that's awful. Having seen your doorway, which sits back a bit from the road, it's a wonder your keys and purse were seen all that easily. I hope you didn't lose too much money.
Not at all the same thing, but a few years ago we had our door knocker stolen. The thief must have seen it on the passing, and come back with a screwdriver. It was a lovely old one - a fox's head, and it had travelled with us from house to house.

It has been very windy lately. Perhaps your wreath blew down the street and the neighbours found it?

If I were you I would smear something nasty onto the remaining ones. Something that won't easily wash off.

Elegran ...that's a hassle you didn't need.

My front door wreath is tied onto the door knocker with garden twine and has been safe for many years.

Not so my solar lights in the front garden. I have them in random groups of 3 tucked into the low growing ground cover firs and cotoneasters. Very attractive they are, you can barely see them except when lit. When they were first put in place during the summer DH reckoned they'd be lucky to last but he was proved wrong .... until last week. I noticed one missing, then another one. For goodness sake, they're only £1 each. And not even at their best at this time of year.

There are some nasty people in the world.

Oh Elegran, I'm so sorry. What a rotten thing to happen. I hope they get their comeuppance!

Wreaths, schmeaths. I came home tired wet and cold a few days ago, took my shopping indoors but left my keys in the front door (attached to my purse holding cash and cards) and forgot to lock the outer porch door. Made a cup of coffee and sat down to warm up and relax. Remembered to lock up a couple of hours later. Gone. Have cancelled cards and changed locks. I could do without this.

I've always wanted to put a lovely wreath on our front door, but never have, as I would be so annoyed if it disappeared. We live in an end terrace and our front door is more or less straight onto the street, so I'm sure it would happen.

I had a very realistic robin that I bought from a florist clipped to my wreath until it mysteriously "flew" away. It was probably taken by the same old chap,that leaned over our back fence and stole the bird feeder that was hanging in the tree. I was so fascinated watching him that I didn't think to shout at him to put it back

Oh they might. Probably think that a wreath is a wreath and not distinguishable. but this is not as bad as a neighbour of my mother's when I was small and we lived in army married quarters. Mum had pneumonia and was in bed at home, with several neighbours popping in and out to help. Her best friend had an engagement ring identical to Mum's and rather unusual, which they had often remarked on.

When she recovered, Mum went to put her ring back on, having last seen it on the mantelpiece. No ring! After a few years, we left there, but stayed friendly with BF, who came to visit. "You know, it's such a coincidence,", she said, "You remember X? She has a ring just like ours. That is three of us!" No it wasn't, it was theft - X had been one of the neighbours who were in and out of the house - and she didn't wear that ring until after we had moved away.

Quote Shysal: What a nerve to actually display it!

Exactly, really they wouldn't do that if they had stolen yours- surely (???)

Just reread my post and last line I should have said I'm sure they've NOT had the same one before!
Agreed - good for your Chloe. Cheeky sods.
And shysal, who knew there was such a crime market for christmas paraphernalia!

Go Chloe - well done IMHO!

Well done Chloe

Babs - I see the true spirit of Christmas is with us!

When my Mother was in hospital for several weeks a neighbour in the block of flats took her outside doormat and placed it outside their own front door. As I used to go around to her flat to pick up post etc I saw it and took it back when my Mother died I knocked on their door and said as she was dead they could now have it as a gift instead of stealing it. Still don't know where I got the courage from as I do not enjoy confrontation.

What a nerve to actually display it!
More trivial, for me, is that my snowman car aerial topper disappeared, and I spotted a similar one on a vehicle at the leisue centre I use.