Dog law advise needed

According to the DDA.. if one of my dogs attacks an intruder (on a private dwelling, ie. in my own garden), then they 'could' be pts and I could be fined.

So I am in a panic!

About 2 weeks ago, someone attempted to steal my husbands scooter from under the living room window. We were sittling in full view of the lad in the living room! Hence we scared him off.

We moved the bike to the back garden (as our garage isn't attached to the house and is less secure and secluded).
This same person, tried to steal it at about 10pm at night, again right under our noses.

So we padlocked the back gate.

On wednesday afternooon, I nopticed that one of our back fence panels had moved and wasn't sitting between the two concrete posts, so as you do, thinking it was just the high winds, hubby put it back. He then noticed that the panel had a lump of wood underneath it.
This fencing on the left leads straight into our neighbours garden, and is 8.5ft on our side, but only 6.6ft on his. So again, we thought we were secure... Wrong!!!

Now we've had a security light fitted for years to the back of the house, and it has a sensitive sensor that will trigger as soon as someone enters the garden, but this wasn't working for some reason. So I asked hubby on wednesday to fix it.
As I was chatting, and doing dogsey stuff, I heard hubby yell something as soon as he went upstairs to the back bedroom. He'd only spotted the thief, in our garden, trying to roll the bike up over the raised flower beds and through the gap created by the removed fence panel

He dropped the bike and scarpered.

Obviously I phoned the police who sent a patrol round the area within seconds of me phoning. To no avail though..

Thats when this awful thought hit me.. my dogs are in the dining room adjacent to the garden and Sam is quite adept at opening the back door to let himself out for the toilet.. So what the hell would I have done, if it wasn't hubby who spotted this guy, but the dogs? And why didn't my dogs hear anything and bark?

I'm obviously locking the back door now that I know we are being targetted, but since, today my trellis (on the opposite side) has been kicked in, its obvious that this person is adament to try and gain entry to my house!

(the bike is being stored elsewhere now, as it obviously wasn't safe here).

I am also lending a video camera for a while to set up in the kitchen, aimed at the broken trellis (as that is a vulnerable place due to the security light being hidden around the kitchen extension).

So, How do I stand legally? ANyone else have this problem before? If this person does actually gain entry to the house whilst we are asleep, then I can't guarantee my dogs won't attack them. (I don't think they will, but again I don't know for sure).

The dog warden has met my dogs after my fence was kicked in last year, so I know he will back me up to say that they aren't dangerous dogs etc, but is that enough?

Any advice regarding any of the above would be most appreciated..

I was told by the police who came to ours after the house was broken in and storm and jake attacked the man who did it. That they could be pts and us held responsable but it would be unlikely and if we had a "beware of the dog sign" we would not be held responsble and the dogs would be fine as we had given warning.

I would put up some signs saying "Dog Running Free on this Property" or something along those lines.
That way you are warning people that dogs are on your property, but not admitting to having a dangerous dog as with a "Beware of the dog" sign.

Thanks stormey
Now I heard it the other way, that if I have a 'beware of the dog' sign then I am admitting I have dangerous dogs..
So still a bit bewildered to say the least as I am not sure what else I can do for the best...
So I take it, the thief was never caught?

The police can come round and do a security check can't they (or have I made that up in the land of my own head????)
Anyway, if they can, you could ask them. Or ask your dog warden about a sign...

That sounds better doesn't it, as like you've said, I wouldnt be claiming that they are anything to be aware of... hence dangerous.. I like that idea..


What if I put a sign up on the inside of my door so that only someone who enters the kitchen or hallway could see it? would that make a difference?

No, but from what the neighbours told me he got more than any court could hand out.

Yes we had the 'community police' officer round her loads of times last year to the point we were going to be offered the one and only camera installed, but we declined and set up our own on the front of the house.

We also fitted the light to the front of the house. The back however has had no comments, so I am presuming that they thought it was ok.

As for the fence pannels being moved, you could actually get them bolted to the posts, even concrete ones. My brother had a problem with gypsies last year, he had new fencing put up next morning he woke his pannels had been stolen so be brought some more and bolted them to the posts to stop them making of with them again - he also has dogs and this was his biggest worry - his problem is now solved thankfully.

It could have easily been worse though for the dogs I mean.. that too is the worry I have