"It was a black real estate agent"

Rules me out then

Y

I never said it didn't! Would you please re-read my post and take note of the fact that I was specifically referring to my area. I'm simply saying that the descriptions of the UK I read on here are unrecognisable to me as it's not something I've personally ever come across - I never said it doesn't happen, just that it hasn't happened to me or anyone I know.

Also from Bristol. Where my mother was the victim of a home invasion at 86 years old. She was lucky, they only pushed her around and held her down while they ransacked her home. The trauma stayed with her until she died 4 years later. However her neighbour was murdered by the same cowardly criminals - he was in a wheelchair. This was in a little old people's complex, tiny bungalows. Great targets for these brave excuses for humanity. It took the police 13 hours to get to my Mum for a statement. She gave them excellent descriptions. They were never caught, and went on to do several more home invasions - the descriptions tallied.

Now admittedly that may colour my impressions of the UK, but sad to say too many others have stories of their own. As I said - count your blessings.

That is terrible. I know of two people who have been murdered (friends of friends) - both in Canada. And as I said in a pp, my only personal experience of crime was on the streets of Toronto when I was attacked and sexually assaulted. I worked in central London for 6 years, frequently getting the tube home late at night, and never felt unsafe unlike in Toronto (even before the attack). I guess it just depends on each persons personal experiences and is largely the luck of the draw.

I do every day - and please note that I said how lucky we were in the post you quoted.

Yet!

How charmingly optimistic. Did you mean to say 'and I hope it never does happen to you'?

Got it in one!

I wouldn't wish violence of any description on anyone.

I knew a Canadian who killed his neighbour, I don't know any British murderers.

I'm sorry to hear of your experience in Toronto. I don't know the city so can't comment but like you I used to feel safe in London. I didn't in Bedfordshire. It probably does depend on personal experience, certainly my most recent experience of the UK wasn't pleasant, and life here in rural Ontario is safe, dull, but safe. I have seen some very creepy towns though and some odd looking locals, I imagine the figures for domestic violence are high.

I fail to understand what knowing or knowing of a murderer has to do with anything associated with living in the UK or Canada. Certain parts of both countries have higher crime rates than others and probably poverty related. Being sexually assaulted in Toronto has nothing to do with Toronto. That is just where it happened and indubitably prejudiced the feelings of the poster. It certainly would mine. Such a heinous crime could have happened anywhere. Sexual predators exist in all parts of all societies. The majority of murders are of a domestic nature but there's no doubt that extra caution must be exercised by all in larger cities of both countries.

christmasoompa I have been reading your posts with interest and I firstly want to state again that I am pleased you have not been subjected to the trauma we have been put through and long may it continue.

However, I feel highly insulted that you feel that somehow I, and the many others that have expressed similar concerns, are not validated in some way or that we are exaggerating or such like.

The last week since I started this post has been hell on earth.

We have had fireworks thrown at the house, and now have our letter box taped up.

Last night there was 25-30 kids right outside with carrier bags full of larger. We had friends due to come round and they rang us from outside to say they would drive round for a bit but wouldn't get out of their car because they were too scared (and they are visiting from London and supposedly an area that is nowhere near as "nice" as where we live). They eventually managed to come in some half an hour later once these kids had moved on. I had to call the police as they were staggering into the road by this point and was positively dangerous for drivers never mind themselves. I don't think the police arrived.

Tonight we had friends round and my husband heard noise ourside, looked out to see a thug about to smash our window (or attempt it).

He yelled out to them and they then wrote all over our neighbours van (second night running) and threw two black dustbins at our friends car. Our friends were gutted, this was our last time we were having them here as we are selling our dining room furniture and it was quite a sad night anyway, but was lovely as our kids get on so well. They wanted to take our children home with them because all of the kids were crying and scared.

It was quite funny because they have given so many of the arguments earlier in the night about anti social behaviour and rather than emigrate we ought to move to a nicer area the such like and they have a big house in a quiet cul-de-sac and yet they live directly opposite a chap that is regularly part of gangland wars and in fact they were woken up by the police in the early hours a week or so ago due to problems with this chap. My friend actually answered her own arguments when telling us about the latest installment with this man!!

I don't know where this will end, I am genuinely scared that my husband will either end up being stabbed, or will end up with a criminal record because he will flip and that will be the end of our Canada dream or that these thugs will genuinely do some harm.

Right now our only consolation is that they haven't done any damage to us but we no longer feel safe in our own home, a home that we work so hard to keep and maintain. My kids are still crying upstairs and I no longer have words of comfort.

So please don't demean our situation, it is upsetting enough to be going through this hell without being made to feel that we are somehow exaggerating it.

Oh and if anyone has any bright ideas on how we survive the next few months please I'd love to hear them as tonight I was told by the police not to ring them again as they are an emergency line (this was not 999 but the local control number) and that anti social behaviour should no longer be reported to them but should be made to the local police (no phone numbers and they only work office hours anyway).

I feel sick to the stomach and am at my wits ends.

Not sure on the legality of these, but have you considered one of those mosquito devices that emit an intolerable noise that only young people can hear? That might move them on - though it also might antagonise them (though sounds like it can't get much worse anyway).

http://www.mosquito-ni.com/howitworks.html

Oh thank you, thank you. This was suggested as a potential solution ages ago but the trouble kids were evicted and it was never implimented, I will get in touch with our council and police force tomorrow as they were going to see about putting one up last time.

TBH we may just invest in one, they aren't cheap but if that buys us peace of mind it would be worth every single penny.

I'm going to see if we can hire one too.

Thank you, you have just given us hope again because we really were at the bottom of the pit tonight.

They do look expensive and to be honest, they just emit a sound of a particular frequency - you could rig one up yourself I reckon with a minimal amount of kit. The sound did the rounds as a ring tone not so long ago, so I'm sure it's out there on the web somewhere, just a case of finding a way to broadcast it loud enough to be effective...

EDIT: In fact - here you go - http://www.freemosquitoringtones.org/ That was easy enough to find

I can't believe this is happening to a family (read families) in a country that was, for centuries, held up as an example of civility and the way of life to envy. I wish I had some bright ideas to help you deal with this but I don't. You may (will) have to hunker down with your family for the six months you have left (hopefully that's all), keep your doors bolted at all times, get ear plugs and go about your lives as best you all can, keeping uppermost in your minds that it will soon be over, and as you leave tell them to kiss your collective asses (that's arses to you).

Oh fabulous thank you. Now if I could work out how to set a ring tone on my iPhone I'd add it tonight but sadly after several months of playing I've never managed to do it.

So I have sent the link to my husband to download onto his phone instead.

Oh thank you, I'll get him to do that right now.