Damn. Those thieves have got to my place again. I call the police and they don’t even turn up anymore. I collect another lodgement number, this is now the 9^th. I am getting so angry with no action.

Talking to the neighbours regarding the thefts. They advised the family, in the scruffy house on the corner, are the people doing it and the coppers are too scared to tackle them. I have a think.

In my younger days I was a fitter and turner. I noticed a request in the local paper for someone to assist with building traps for animals. They are humane traps to collect wild animals for later releasing in the wild. I attend the meeting and get some plans to build. As they stated I put up a notice at my gate to be aware of testing traps within my property. My neighbour saw me pinning up the notice, so I took a picture of him, the notice and the day’s paper. I downloaded and printed 5 copies giving him a copy.

During the next few weeks I made some 15 traps and handed them over to the local wildlife society. They were very happy with them. At the same time I made some vicious traps, yes ones with very sharp knife edge and saw tooth edge and left them around my property. I knew where they were.

I went out on Saturday night after checking all of the traps were set. I came home around 1am hearing a small request for help. Looking I saw the local thug from the corner house. He had sprung the saw tooth trap and it had almost cut his leg off just above the ankle.

So I did the normal thing, I rang the police saying someone is trying to break into my house, again I got a lodgement number. I went to bed. The next morning seeing it was still in my garden I again called the police, again another lodgement number.

A neighbour called the police stating someone was in a trap on my property, this time they appeared. On seeing the person had lost a lot of blood and the ankle was almost torn off they called an ambulance. They called at my door. I have been bullied many times in the past due to my small stature. I played on this. When those coppers were telling me about the thug, I showed them the list of my calls and their job numbers and results (Nil). I showed them the sign at my gate as required. I demanded they charge the person with trespass and got their details. They knew they could not bring a case against me. Inwardly I smiled.

Guess what, I have never been broken into since. Yes the traps have been removed but I still have them stored in my shed for another time. Another plus, the scruffy house has been sold and we have new neighbours. Sometimes you have to take action.