Model Railway Forum

A chap in Essex years ago made some land mines out of 12 bore cartridges and planted them in the ground to stop unwanted visitors.. Trouble was, when the local plod found out they took a dim view of the idea. His case came up the week later.

I love that idea, provided you remember where you put them. With my memory I would soon blow my own foot off

Thank you for all the suggestions which are food for thought. One or two of you are extracting the urine though - but keep it up, ha ha.

The chap in Essex appears to be the local village idiot .

He was no idiot but I would describe him as eccentric. A farmer who lived on his own and did not have much liking for people who kept breaking into his premises.

Put a notice on the door saying...
The first shot is a blank, the rest will be live.
Have a nice day and go find someone else to rob.

Something along those lines Brian was what got him arrested.

You can describe him any way you like John, anybody who plants home made land mines is an idiot.

It was not my description it was how the papers talked about him. I am surprised you did not remember the headlines at the time Brian, it was all over the papers and the TV News.
Long time ago though. Perhaps you have forgotten.

Putting trip wires and other hidden traps on ones property can result in being sued by burglars or criminal proceedings such are the perverse laws in this country. An Englishmans home is certainly not his castle and claiming someone should not have been there is no excuse. Mind you we do not want the situation like some of the gun toting rednecks in the USA where it seems shoot first and ask question later. I hasten to add I do not include our friends from across the pond who contribute to this forum and seem quite reasonable nor most Americans just the extremists.

As I said before the only way to prevent burglary is make your property as unattractive as possible and perhaps leaving the odd rake you forgot to put away lying around might help

Richard