Night-time garden intruders cause fear amongst villagers
Ringshall - Credit: Archant
A mother has spoken of the torment caused by trespassers who snuck onto her property, moved security lights and lurked in the dead of night.
Ringshall, in the heart of the Suffolk countryside, has been visited in the night by three criminals for two weeks - who are still at large.
Residents have reported three figures on properties in the middle of the night that are somehow opening locked gates and padlocks, as well as moving security lights to allow them to return undetected later on.
Elaine Turner, of Lower Farm Road, said: “I’m in bed with my eyes open, ears open, windows open, listening out - I’ve had to start going to bed fully dressed so I can give chase if someone comes into our garden.
“I’m 58 and my husband is 71, our springer spaniel is nine - we’re not able to defend ourselves from an intruder.”
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Mrs Turner suspects the perpetrators are parking further away and walking to the home on foot - but is still unsure how they are opening the locked gates on nearby properties without breaking them.
Another resident reported that a lawn mower, strimmer and hedge trimmer were taken from a previously locked shed in the night but dragged off of the property, indicating that no getaway vehicle was nearby.
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On the night of September 14, a neighbour spotted the three individuals on their property and chased them.
Mrs Turner’s family is now living in fear and suspicion of the land around their rural home and want to warn other villages of the potential threat.
She added: “I’m scared to use my back door or go in my garden at night because I don’t know who is out there anymore.
“My daughter is 26 and we now lock our front gate together at night so neither of us has to be alone in the dark.
“These people are still out there and other villages are just as vulnerable - people need to feel safe in their homes.”
A spokesman for Suffolk police said: “We were called four times by residents on the morning of September 7 following reports of gates being left open, security tampered and suspect behaviour in the village.
“On September 9 we were called to inform us that between September 3 and 7, garden tools were stolen from a locked shed on a residential property.”
