buddug

Wow singalto! Fantastic. Yes, do PM me with it. Thanks.

Just an update. Police rang me just now to take a phone statement. They caught a burglar red-handed somewhere else - possibly Pellatt Road? They wouldn't say, but they think he's one of the men who burgled the Oglander property re modus operandi. They said my description of the two men would help link the two burglaries if forensics couldn't. They'll let me know, as they'll need me to sign the statement and maybe go to court. I said that's fine - as long as my address is not read out, which has been known to happen! Nice to know the police are starting to take burglaries seriously.

Apology accepted Singalto! Thanks. And great news re the caught burglar. I only hope the police have caught the two I encountered. They said they'd let me know and would need a statement from me, which I'd be happy to give. By the way, a few of you are struggling with my user name, understandably - it's Buddug (pr. Bi (as in is) th (as in the) and ig (as in ignite). It's Welsh for Victoria and was my cat's name. I'm only saying, as I fear someone's going to call me Bed Bug next! Ha ha.

Thanks, Dover. I just wish I'd got there two minutes earlier to see him go in, instead of coming out, then they wouldn't have taken anything. But then I might have found myself totally alone in the street with them. Horrible thought. I was burgled a few years ago, and I know what it's like.

Thanks for all your kind wishes - I'm fine. I stupidly put myself in danger but I don't regret it. But I was very lucky the two other men came along at exactly the right time! I was shaken afterwards though, I have to say!

Go to hell, Sue. Well, whatever you trolls want to post, this is what happened in Oglander Road today and also a burglary in Avondale Rise, who the police thought were by the same people an hour previously. Keep safe and ignore the trolls on here who couldn't care less, and who keep arguing the bloody toss. As always happens, you post something public spirited, and then it's hijacked by these ghastly trolls who think it's ok to nit-pick and take your post off-topic. Yuck. Shame on them.

Sue. They did jump on me and immediately assumed I didn't call the police. Wrongly. I am not therefore trying to make something out of nothing. I just happened not to give all the details in my first post. Rendall said he did not want to be judgemental, but then was judgemental. I am not taking anything out on people here except to tell the truth to the trolls who are quite clearly trolling. Read their previous posts.

Oh come on, Sue. They jumped on me straight away. I only posted my experience, to alert people in a public-spirited way without going into the details. They should have known that any normal person would have also phoned the police. Instead of keeping on thread, they became judgemental, as always. Respected posters my arse. The two of them are always doing this. But thanks for your kudos. I was scared. And only realised how stupid I was in following them afterwards. I think instinct kicks in at the time.

Ahem. Not so fast Rendal and singalto. Who said no one called the police? I did indeed call them. Immediately. And bless them, they arrived within four minutes, you judgemental ****s. In fact, I even followed the burglars after they rang the bell at my place, and so then actually saw one of them crawling out of the window of my neighbours, who I know. Only to be then confronted by two huge men. Luckily for me, when they both stared at me only feet away, their faces contorted with hatred, two men walking a bicycle appeared on the other side of the road so I ran to them for safety - I'm a tiny 5ft tall woman - so then the burglars ran off. I then gave my neighbour's phone number to the police, and she arrived 15 minutes later as she works nearby. God, I and many others are so sick of you trolls on here who attack every post with your irrelevant nonsense. So much so that many people I know never post here for fear of you. Forgive my numerous editing as I am so cross.

It was about 2.30pm, I think. They rang my doorbell first, but I didn't answer. But my dog was barking at them so they left. They had also appeared earlier at another neighbour's front window then scarpered when they saw her. They went up and down Everthorpe Road then up and down Oglander. Casing, in a remarkably obvious way, looking in windows and ringing doorbells. Two men, one very tall, the other very short, but both very stocky. They were in and out of the flat in Oglander within two minutes, taking a laptop and mobile phone.

I've lived at this property for 19 years and have voted in numerous elections...

But Siduhe, he specifically wanted my NI Number, nothing else.

But are you all happy with this? I'm not. It seems undemocratic.

I've just had a very polite young man at my door (5pm) dressed in a hi-vis Southwark Council jacket and carrying a Southwark Council bag. He said I was not on the electoral register - which I am and have been for 20 years - and that I must now give him my National Insurance number if I want to vote! I refused, saying I had never been asked for this before and that it was none of Southwark Council's business what my NI number was. Is this a scam, or is the council so desperate for money now that it needs to glean our numbers in order to sell them on to multinational companies? My feeling is, if this is bona fide, we should all refuse to give our NI numbers to the council. What do others think?

Be careful now what we say about this case. Charges have been brought which means the case is 'live', so anything that could be seen as influencing the jury or judge would be contempt of court, bringing severe penaltires to the poster and the forum.

Definitely La Scala.Ask for the macchiato. The best coffee in London!

The cashier definitely said it was a member of staff who was injured. He seemed quite concerned. It is odd it wasn't reported. Maybe the co-op is playing it down so as not to scare off customers. They're probably understandably traumatised.

Oh dear. Meanwhile, one of the cashiers told me the robbers had guns. He added that they approached from the back of the store but it was 'a mystery' how they got in. It was just before midnight. Unfortunately, a member of staff was injured and is in hospital. He confirmed two of the gunmen were caught. Two others at large. There was a long queue so I didn't feel able to ask more questions. Let's hope the employee has a speedy recovery.

I agree with everything you've just said LondonMix, so I won't repeat. Farfisamania said 'They can't put a surveyor onsite every day', but Southwark building control made 48 visits, for God's sake! How did they miss all of this?

You're welcome. I feel for the residents, as I think we all do. And all the other victims of Southwark Council's leaseholders and tenants in general.

Hi rendelharris. It's normal nowadays for local authorities to work together under what is called the LABC (local authority building control) partnership - google it. One council outside the area - often where the architects or developers are based - approves their plans for the host council and submits them - i.e. in this case, to the host council Southwark - where the work is taking place, and then the host council takes over to do the building control and sign-off of the works. What that entails, who knows. In my experience of building control, with regards to a local restaurant I helped with, they are very stringent, as LondonMix said. Anything wrong, and you have to redo it. However, now, in this case, Southwark is claiming building control sign-off is all very airy-fairy. Very odd.

Hi Spider. You're quite right. But my interest in Southwark Council's role in signing off this disaster - after 48 site inspections, for God's sake, yet not finding one single problem (!) - is what interests me. I may be barking up the wrong tree, but if Southwark building control is liable for the sign-off of an obviously flawed development - and I'm not saying they are - then they would have to play a large role in reimbursing the beleaguered residents. It's the builders who screwed up and are also liable, yet they went into administration and are now dissolved. So no reimbursement there. Ashford Council worked with the architects, maybe because they were based in Ashford, and approved the plans - probably because they were bona fide - and then submitted them to Southwark. The big question at the moment is, how superficial are building control sign-offs, or approvals of works. Some are saying negligible, it's just advice, others are saying stringent.

Londonmix. I agree with you. By the way, just to be clearer, southwark said in answer to my FoI 'approval of the scheme' was given by another council (which denies this) not a private company. Southwark also said 'certification' after their (48) site visits was provided by their building control. Southwark's use of language seems designed to confuse the layperson. However, their building control signed it off (their certification).

Yes, under something called Local Authority Building Control (LABC), but not in the way Southwark has worded it to me.