hi
chipp.
1 of the best ways to keep skroates out of your property is a beware of the dog sign.
i know it,s not a crocodile but the element of doubt by a skroat is sometime all it take,s.
he or she doesn,t know if u have a dog or not and it,s a cheap way of protecting your home.

leaving a light on even during the day again can b also a element of doubt

i have CCTV on my pond only due to i have fish in there that r worth money and again stops people coming into the garden.

CCTV works both way,s if u have it u have something worth stealing or it will keep them away.

well back to animals geese are very good gaurd dogs and anyone gets on there patch they don,t know,means death by pecking and swan,s r another good protector.

----------David--------------FISHMADUK---------------

You would get sued for the croc scratching the skin of the poor disadvantaged and misguided scrot that did this, unless of course the croc ate him entirely. Then you would be prosecuted for cruelty to animals. I am sorry your thief didnt slit his throat on the glass shards.

Hi, that must have been an awful experience.
If your pond is in the back (with croc) it wouldn't have stopped them getting in, but as you say, fantasies of thieves getting their comeuppance can make you feel better.

Seriously though, ALWAYS lock your front door if you are in the garden or in fact upstairs. ALWAYS lock your back door too. My M in L as in the back garden and someone just walked in her unlocked door and stole her mobile phone from a kitchen counter. He/she would have stolen bag/purse etc if the had been visible.

I watched the BBC series where they got an ex burglar to break into peoples houses. It was frightening how quick and sneaky they were, and how no neighbours ever stopped them.

Things to try to protect pond and garden:
Bolts on gate.
Locks on gate, shed, garage etc (and use them)
Prikka strip on top of fences and walls.
Wobbly trellis on top of fences to increase height and make them more difficult to climb.
Non drying paint on top of walls etc.
Sensor Security lights.
CCTV on pond (but don't forget it needs to be recorded).
Prickly plants.
Pond mesh.

any other suggestions?

Many thanks for your comments--it did make me smile (like a crocodile?!)

It is also useful as a reminder of security in the garden. The Police mentioned that they rarely deal with this kind of burglary (opportunistic) when there is an alarm system visible.

Anyway, can never be too careful, and we also learned not to hide valuables (gold jewelery and credit cards etc.) in drawers and boxes. Need to be cannier, and some place that isn't so obvious--like a floor safe under a rug, or underneath the Rottweillers Dog basket.

Did hear a good story from the glass guy though, about someone who got burgled and one of the things stolen was a digital camera. As they were known thieves they got raided and her stuff was found, including the camera which had her holiday snaps on it, and the theives, posed in her house!!

That is an awful thing to happen. I hope you are fully recovered from the shock of it now. I have a friend that has her home burgled quite often. She has also had her cars stolen and a few months ago all the cars and her husbands van set on fire outside her home. This all started up quite a few years ago now when her son gave evidence in court about something he had witnessed. Since then they have never been left alone. It is a very sad state of affairs and has caused her a lot of heartache. They even stood outside with baseball bats and baraclavas on their heads waiting for her son to come home one night. That was particularly scary. The thing is she doesn't live in an awful area where you might expect these things to happen and has a lovely home. I am grateful that we have never been burgled in the home only the sheds and car. To keep this on topic (light heartedly) I would suggest a large rubber fish that when we catch these awful people in our homes we can slap them across the face with the fish.