Woman's CCTV reveals neighbours have been using her garden furniture while she's out

5 August 2021, 15:06 | Updated: 5 August 2021, 15:16

By Heart

@thisisheart

A woman has pleaded with Mumsnet for advice after she discovered her neighbours have been climbing in to her garden when she is at work.

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According to one flustered Mumsnet user, her neighbours simply decided to use hers when she was at work.

Weird21 said that she had installed a hidden camera after noticing that things had been moved in the garden - and her worst suspicions were confirmed.

She posted: "I have a block of flats next to my house and I thought for a while things have been moved in my garden and it seemed a bit weird.

"I’ve got a lock on the gate and it’s always locked. So over the weekend I’ve installed a small out door camera under my guttering which records the whole back garden.

"So I’ve come home tonight after work (I work the late shift) and found two cigarette butts on the path by my seating area. So I checked the camera and the neighbours have climbed my wall and been sitting in my garden from 2pm until 8pm using my seating and table.

"To say I’m annoyed is an understatement but how to I confront them as they aren’t the friendliest of people at the best of times. So I guess they’ve been doing this since the nice weather began."

The woman was understandably upset, and said that it was obvious when she had left as she would drive to work.

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She added: "They live in the flats but have no garden or courtyard, there is a park literally the other side of me house with large grass areas for them to sit.

"I just don’t know how to approach this as I’m a single woman and just concerned it’ll escalate but I can’t allow this what would you all do?

"I thought maybe a note through their door asking them to not use it anymore. They haven’t seen the camera but now I wonder how long it’s been going on."

In later posts, Weird21 explained that she was miffed that her unpleasant neighbours had had more use and enjoyment from her garden furniture than she had.

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She wrote: "I got the camera as when I went out at night to sit out for a bit cushions weren’t where I’d left them it was little things that seemed a bit wrong. I couldn’t put my finger on it I was expecting it to be a fox or something not the neighbours, I would never have guessed that until I saw the camera footage.

"It’s annoyed me as I left for work 1.30 and by 2 they’re sat relaxing in my garden. If this has been going on for a while they’ve used [the] garden furniture more than me."

The forum - which so far has over 800 comments - erupted with outrage.

One said: "Spikes on the top of the fence, or anti climb paint. Report the trespass to the police. They sound like scum."

Other suggestions included putting up signs saying they were being recorded on CCTV, putting spikes on the fence, and even setting up a trap.

"Can you view the camera without being in the house?" asked one. "If so, drive the car away, ‘to work’ sit around the corner and wait and then ring the police and say there are intruders in your garden and explain to the police how to get to the garden without them seeing! Bet they wont try it again."