[Rich/Jan]

We are also aware of the problems here in rural France.  Had our electric fence solar panel stolen a few months ago - have replaced it with another but this time have sited it IN the pig pen.  He who dares ... and all that.  We have seen quite a few 'white van' drivers around here looking for scrap etc.  We are in a small hamlet of six houses - each of whom have a dog of some sort so we know when they are about - day and night.  Most of the white-van brigade around here have departed to spain for the winter now so perhaps it will be a bit easier for a while - until the spring come around again.  All the supermarkets have security guards in their store - usually big and burly.!!

[violet]

Definitely time I got that application for a shotgun license sent off, I think.

The law isn't on your side. It's practically illegal to defend yourself and your property these days.
Against the thiefs human rights or something like that.
And at the end of the day it's your word against theirs.

BE CAREFUL 

[suziequeue]

We got CCTV fitted - although I understand that unless you have signs stating such - the evidence is inadmissible in a court of law!!!

However, didn't stop us from bringing shame on our local Yodel (ex-Home Delivery Network) van driver when he tried to do this:

http://youtu.be/DpWpzIsvdmg


We had head office round the next day being very apologietic. 

[Eve]

Excellent, Suzieque, glad you had it on camera!

After what happened to those chickens in our suburban area, I really start to fear for our animals, both with regards of theft and being attacked by cruel maniacs (who need flogging, imo). And the weaners of this summer are just about ready to go, so at their most valuable.

Anybody who knows what the law currently says about barbed wire along the top of fences? It's not to stop organised crime, mind, it's for the odd imbecile who thinks of climbing the fence to hurt the pigs or poison them or anything like that.

[SallyintNorth]

Disgraceful behaviour, well done with the CCTV footage - and circulation of same  suzieQ!

Re: barbed wire, well of course it would be your fault if a crim hurt him or herself.  But don't you have horses or cattle or something that you need to stop from reaching over / scratching on the fence? 

I've a family friend with a small factory in the Midlands.  The factory was near a railway line, and every Bank Holiday kids would get onto the roof from the railway line, smash and climb in through the skylights and cause damage, sometimes nicking stuff and sometimes just smashing a few things up.  The works manager rolled up some barbed wire and stuffed it inside the skylights, so that even if they smashed the glass they'd have to negotiate the barbed wire.  The insurance company told them they had to remove it, as a thief would be able to make a claim for damage.  So, after the thief had trespassed and caused criminal damage, broken in and was now illegally on private property, the law would still protect him if he were to be scratched by the barbed wire.  I don't get it.

[ambriel]

Blimey! And he didn't even leave a 'Called but you were out' card

Great video. Being a technophile I've got cameras all over our place. There's even an infra-red one in the henhouse.

[suziequeue]

Oh cool Ambriel..... what interesting happenings have you seen going on in the hen house?

[ambriel]

It's interesting watching them all settling down for the night, and of course there's no more wasted trips out to collect eggs when there aren't any there

[Penninehillbilly]

They're also quite useful when complaining about a delivery that didn't arrive - company 'checks records' says no-one home - - - we say 'driver is lying - come and check thru the security footage covering the yard' apologies and delivery next day.

[Barrett]

All the rustling going on is frightening really, in city's they steel dogs and cats, I have a Chihuahua and I won't leave her in the car if I go out for the fear of someone steeling her, were I live there are Gypsy's about 5 miles away and I am only about 4 fields away from the A38 they came one night thank god didn't take any of my pigs or chickens but cleared out my whole shed again unscrewed the lock from the main door both my boys quads and scramblers went, lawnmower, petrol strimmer the only thing they couldn't take was a sit down mower with a puncture they never got caught even though they left foot prints in the mud and track marks in the fields, my husband caught a father and daughter teem steeling from our yard red handed and they still got off where is the justice in that.