Police came but the burglars had run away.
That night, the brazen thieves came back again and cleaned the house out - taking televisions, computers, cameras, meat from the freezer and even tins of fruit salad.
My neighbours were away that night because one of them had suffered a heart attack and was in Waikato Hospital. How charming for them to hear this news.
Now their house is fully alarmed and the doors and windows are dead bolted.
Last week around midday, we heard the burglar alarm at their place going off again.
We rushed over and their rear toilet window was wide open - I knew they wouldn't have left it that way.
I again contacted my neighbour with the news and they rushed home.
While the police initially didn't think anyone had got inside, it soon became clear there were fingerprints all over the newly replaced televisions.
Turns out my neighbours had left the window on the half latch. It's clear now this is too easy for burglars to pop open.
It was probably the same thieves who came back to get the new gear replaced by insurance.
Hopefully, they'll know by now they're not going to get far - a monitored alarm will alert neighbours and the security company and there's no way of getting out of the house with all doors dead bolted from the inside.
But just knowing someone is creeping around at night and in broad daylight getting inside your home is enough to make you sick.
With this warm weather, please don't give burglars an invitation by leaving doors and windows open. And if you're a burglar reading this - get a life.
