During the night, someone forced open our letter box and ripped the back off. Ours appears to be the only one attacked in our hamlet - it’s the first house you come to, and not overlooked. It’s difficult to know what to do to prevent this sort of opportunistic break-in. I clear the box of letters regularly, and we had a SVP PAS DE PUB sticker to reduce excessive amounts of paper building up.
All they would have found is one hospital bill (untouched), a wasp and its nest! We have told the Mairie in case there is a pattern of similar break-ins, who will inform the Gendarme Municipale and Maire. All rather annoying…
Nasty! Any recent visitors/tradesmen casing the joint?
I lived in a flat in Battersea - 3 flats, one per floor. I had the top one. The woman below me sent some vases to an auction house to be valued - we were all burgled shortly afterwards. Suspicious!
Glad you went to the Mairie. After someone stole our old metal gate and bench, I told the Mairie and they sent me to the Gendarmes (9km away) and I spent all the afternoon there and it seemed that my incident was one of several similar happenings, The Gendarmes hoped to build up a picture of what/when/how to hopefully find the who… but we never heard any successful outcome.
OH build a shabby wooden gate (which no-one would want) and replaced the ex-UK bench with a French one
No careless farmer and machinery coming down your way George? Looks decidedly totaled. As its an easy lock to open just wondering if the force was machinery.
Similar to what I first thought. Forcing the lock would be a lot easier than what was done. It would take a few seconds with a crowbar. The damage done seems to be deliberate to me rather than attempted theft.
I don’t get why they needed to rip the back off, b****ds! Maybe they thought you were away or holiday home owners? Whatever their reasons, it’s a nasty thing to happen, I hope the police manage to catch them in the act.
Nearly my thought as well - though I kind-of assumed it was malicious but wondered why the thief had not obtained one of the universal keys (not hard) or just a wave rake as the normal boxes do not have very secure locks and they are easy to pick.
Either approach would have been easier and less obvious than ripping the back off.
Can’t imagine you’ve upset anyone, hoping you’ve not been targeted as an Anglo. My worry is given the equipment used seems to have been some kind of large tin opener this looks planned - they came equipped.
There’s a basic autonomous security camera from Eufy (part of Anker) on offer from Anker or Amazon on offer 79 euros net. More sophisticated models available - they keep improving all the time. It’s almost a price you could afford to throw away when you upgrade but might be a start. Or @Mik_Bennett ‘s wildlife camera might seem more appropriate.
Bizarre! As the fence doesn’t look to be distorted. You haven’t had a faucheuse down your lane yesterday that might have weakened it and then it fell off?
I have a letterbox with two doors, one for postie and one at the back for me to retrieve the post. Shortly after I bought my little house, someone bend out/over the top and bottom of the rear door and broke the lock too. Despite it being battered and very rusty, I decided to repair it . I wanted to keep it as it was old and part of the house. I straightened the door and reinforced it with aluminium angle, and put a padlock on it. I later removed it, sanded it, treated the rust and repainted it and put it back. The rusty fence it sits in will be done later this year, I hope.
I suspect the robber was hoping to find an accumulation of post that might include cheques associated with the previous tenent, not sure.
I know that the house has been ‘cased’ by travelling tradesmen, who cold-call offering tree-cutting and gardening services. I have seen them cast their eyes over my heavy iron gates, and they have offered to buy scrap metal that they could only have seen from my back garden. I photographed the numberplate of the last lot, which drew a roar of swear words from them.
I (perhaps foolishly) have not yet gotten around to putting up external lighting with sensors or a security camera. Which I will do, perhaps a camera that ‘pings’ my phone when it is activated.
Regarding the OP’s photo - I don’t think the damage would have been caused by passing machinery as there does not seem to be any damage to the fence itself - if a trailer (for example) caught in the postbox, it would surely have pulled the letterbox, fence-wire etc along for a half-metre or so . . . .
Do you use Alexa or similar smart home equipment? You could put a movement detector inside the mailbox. You will then be instantly notified of mail arriving and can go get it before thieves have a chance, (or be aware that the box is being tampered with)
If not, you can also construct a manual mail indicator as I did.
It was normal back in Bretagne to leave the key in the postbox or the door open and most were just stood down on the ground and were never ever stolen or tampered with. However that happened in the photo was done using some sort of tool like a jemmy and would have made a noise. I think therefore it could have been a passing vehicle like a tractor or lorry or even someone reversing by it but high enough not to damage the fence
Using a couple of door opening sensors and Home Assistant I know when there is a letter posted or if the door has been opened for a parcel. That was just for convenience rather than security worries. I did however install four cameras around our bungalow’s exterior. Crime reports are seldom heard here but they do happen. A marie and a hairdressing salon up the lane in a quiet nearby village were burgled. So unexpected. Hopefully the sight of cameras act as a deterrent.
Reminds me, must go and check the post. I’m out off the habit as we get next to nothing in the post these days.
Another story; we’ve just bought a house in nearby town. The new neighbour told me they’d had a spate of letter boxes being stolen. I assumed kids ‘avin a larf’ but maybe it was for their potential contents.
Thank you very much for all for your kind comments, suggestions.- and sympathy. I must admit to being a little stunned when I first saw it. Given the location, where our gate.and letter box is set back about 5m from the road,. there is - unfortunately - @JaneJones - almost no way this could have been an accident,eg with a passing crop sprayer/fauchage etc -given it was after midnight! Someone would have had to pull in to the drive in front of our gate, and use the equivalent of a mega tin opener. @Shiba is right that it must have made quite a noise but despite being light sleepers and having super-alert guard dogs (below).who can hear a biscuit falling on the floor at 50 paces, we collectively heard nothing at all. @SuePJ ‘s question made me think - I genuinely don’t think we could have wound anyone up - neither of us is the type to go round annoying people - if at all humanly possible…
I suspect since it was Friday night, and probably well after midnight, it was possibly some drunken lads who thought it would be a good laugh.We’re on a road that leads directly out of the nearby town, to numerous villages, and have hardly any neighbours.. Despite being almost directly under - of all unlikely things in the countryside - a street lamp, the letter box would have been in darkness after about 11.30 pm.
I will think about @Mik_Bennett suggestion of movement sensors and @KarenLot ‘s comments about cameras.
I have now bought a replacement box and hope that it doesn’t suffer the same fate..
