As beautiful and inviting as our area is, just like almost everywhere else we do have a crime problem.
And, as is so common, it is likely that drugs are the cause.
A few weeks ago I discovered that my small angle grinder had 'disappeared'. I was not entirely convinced that I had not placed it somewhere in the workshop and accidentally covered it with something else. I had been using it to cut some tiles and was sure that I had last used it in the workshop.
After searching for three days, on and off, it was certainly not anywhere in the workshop or house.
We do know of a local drug addict who likes to steal money and other items from property around a large area. In fact, some of our friends had previously been affected by his activities.
As it had been some days since the event we decided to put it down to experience and let it go.
However, last week while the fire was busy burning a large swathe of our hillside the thief had struck once again. This time I lost a 50m electrical extension reel. Amazingly, the perpetrator had to unplug it from the wall socket and wind up the reel before taking it away. Even more bizarrely, he ignored the 200€ SDS power drill that was plugged into the adjacent socket. Since then I also discovered that a pair of pliers is missing, there may be other things that I will identify as I continue tidying up the workshop.
All this happened while I was out visiting a friend a few minutes walk away, I was concerned about his situation during the fire and was away for about one hour. I cannot remember if I had actually closed the workshop before going out.
We do have security cameras located around the property, these detect intruders and record video when an alarm is triggered. Strangely, there were no events recorded of the theft. Nothing between the times that I left and returned. This suggests that the person had entered the garden from a direction other than the front gate or the rear patio as it is not possible to get to the workshop from the house direction without being detected. Accordingly, the camera for the workshop now detects any activity near the workshop door.
During the three years that we have lived here we have accidentally left house doors unlocked overnight, even left the workshop door open overnight, and had nothing stolen.
Sadly, we will now have to implement a regime of security much like that we had back in the UK.
Nevertheless, it is still a fantastic place to live and this episode is not going to give us sleepless nights.
Having succeeded twice I am sure that he will be back to try this easy target once again, forewarned is forearmed and I will be ready.