“I don’t feel safe in my own home” – Second years burgled in latest break-in

Horrified housemates were left out of pocket when they didn’t realise their house had been broken into until the next day.

The group of second years heard noises in the early hours of Saturday morning but thought it was one of their friends returning from a night out to their house on Peveril Street.

‘I was devastated’

Katie Michaels, a Broadcast Journalism student, had money stolen from her pocket in her own home.

Her boyfriend’s specialised mountain bike, worth £500, was also missing.

She said: “I was devastated when we finally realised. Its not the missing money or bike that bothers me so much, but the fact that somebody had invaded our home whilst we were in bed upstairs and we didn’t even know.”

When Katie’s boyfriend went to use the bike on Sunday morning, they realised they had been burgled.

They believe the intruder broke in to the house through the living room window and then escaped out of the front door.

When they woke up it was left wide open, and there were footprints left on the window sill and the sofa.

The students were told by estate agents, Zebralets, to contact police on the the non emergency number, and that an agent would be at the house in the next few days to supply them with the code for the burglar alarm.

The friends explained that the security gate to their home is deactivated  meaning strangers are just able to walk in to the compound from the street leaving them feeling unsafe.

Krissy D’adamo, who also lives in the house, said: “We’ve been lied to from the start since moving in more or less everything provided was broken.

“The biggest issue is the ‘secure’ gate which is broken meaning anyone can walk in making everyone feel unsafe.”

Housemate Becca Evans, a second year Film and Philosophy student, who was away when the incident occurred, said: “We’d asked for our gate to be fixed, and it wasn’t. Now I wont feel safe in my house until it is.”

She added: “Also we do not have barriers on our windows like every other house in our street.”

Zebralets said: “We have contacted an electrician and instructed him to take a look at the alarm system within the property.

“He has informed us he will try his utmost to visit, however he is very busy and may not be able to find the time. Please be assured we have informed him of the urgency of the matter.”

Police have advised students to make sure all windows and doors are securely locked and to keep an eye out for any suspicious behaviour after dark.