It's what they steal that's disconcerting. We have had a spate of burglaries here lately, what with many homes being unoccupied except for the vacationing Brit owners, many being very isolated.
Here's what the burglars stole from a friend's holiday cottage:
The gas range and propane bottle/regulator.
The ironing board. The washing machine.
A log basket [!]. A shelf, brackets and 3 dry-pasta jars.
All the best plates [Crown Derby], leaving the regular stuff.
All the bed linen.
They did not steal: the new refrigerator, 2 new electric bicycles, the tv, the DVD player nor the satellite box.
They smashed the oak shutters to get to the main door and then shouldered the lock. They smashed the shed door with a concrete post. The damage caused getting in was around $1000 on the insurance claim.
The same day/night they raided a neighboring home and stole 2 armchairs and a settee.
The gendarmes said they are probably setting up home!
