Houses Being Cased? What To Do.

[Mosaic]

This is a dilemma that I'd appreciate your views on. We live in a quiet residential cul-de-sac, the sort where many properties have been acquired by self-employed builders. These chaps work from home and so have lots of useful kit locked away in their garages. Lately there has been a procession of beaten-up pickup trucks bearing old fridges and bits of aluminium on the back (I'm carefully painting a picture here), who have slowly toured the street during the day when most houses are empty. They give these garages a really good long looking-at, but don't go onto the property.

Now I can appreciate that there are people who do us all the kindness of removing old metallic junk that we might leave in the front garden etc, and I don't begrudge that living for a minute. But this strikes me as the next stage on, viz. finding a quiet time to avail themselves of someone's property.

And yet I cannot see that it is illegal to look at someone's garage while they're at work.

What to do? What would you do?

[jno]

speak to the other owners?

[sandyRoe]

Make a note of the registration numbers of the trucks.

[bednobs]

i think th3e only thing you can do is inform your neighbours, then they can take whatever orecautions they want to

[Mosaic]

Done Jno, and done Sandy.

[mallyh]

inform your local policeman or nieghbourhood watch of you're concern

[Mosaic]

And done bednobs!
Good idea Mally

[jno]

it's not illegal to look at garages... it's also not illegal to stand outside ostentatiously photographing passing trucks.

[Quoi]

I have had this locally here and I took down the number plate and typed it into the internet sites which promise to 'buy any car' as if it was my van - the registration that came back was for a nissan micra.
The best you can do is record the details and maybe tell your neighbour that they should take security more seriously.

[ludwig]

Tell the house owners. I live next door to a plumber who had all the tools stolen from his van during the day once. This isn't a high crime area, and it'd obviously been 'cased' in the way you're talking about.

[rockyracoon]

We are having a spat of it in our area, everyday on the FB residents page there will be comments about a white van, 2 men and garages broken into. If I see a suspicious van I always take the reg down and make sure they see me do it (no I'm not brave, I've always got my big unfriendly dog with me)

[Peter Pedant]

we all have digital cameras.
photograph them

and your keen self-employed builders, none of them have CCTV ? tut tut

[Mosaic]

Thanks folks - some handy hints here.

[DJHawkes]

also inform the local authority, as the person collecting scrap metal has to have a license from them to collect it.

[DJHawkes]

e.g
http://www.wakefield.gov.uk/Business/LicensingAndPermits/EnvHealthLicensingAndPermits/scrapmetal.htm

[flump1]

Approach them and introduce yourself Mosaic, and ask if they need help with a location. If they are thinking of being up to no good they will not be pleased to make your acquaintance. If they are easy going they might be kosher.

[DJHawkes]

the scarp frides etc on the lorry will be the cover for what they intend to stash hidden between them, the old pop lorries used to stack the crates around the side of the lorries and stolen bikes would be placed in the middle of them out of site, well known ploy, stay alert.

[jomifl]

If there are three guys in the truck, possibly one old one then they are burglars. 2 do the burgling whilst 3rd (old guy)is the lookout. Try stopping them and asking them a spurious scrap related question, they will know they've been sussed and won't come back if they are burglars.

[society]

You should let them see you taking pictures of them.

[dave50]

They will be gypsies up to no good.

[baza]

tell the old bill, save your breath, the filth will not tackle the transit pick up brigade, false number plates, no insurance ,you name it , these people do not have it, I have seen a police car turn around to avoid an overloaded pick up.
Just tell your neighbours.