Random Mad Person [not necessarily me]

This is all very horrid: I'm a nervous wreck. ( if only things DID happen in threes )

Thanks to everyone for good advice. A couple of things: I don't have insurance because the premiums here are so expensive. I have an ISA which costs about the same per month, and which I will terminate and use if I ever get burgled and need to replace stuff. Replacement cost vis-a-vis mugging is low (mainly thanks to friends - thanks!), apart from peace of mind which is not available from local retailers. And re self-defense ... well, I do tai chi ... but I suspect the only form of defense against six determined teenagers is spontaneous human combustion. Will practice.

But thank you for caring. It does mean a lot.

[NB edited to relate this evening's exciting episode in past tense. It's what they recommend with other stuff you want to get past, e.g. smoking, so I don't see why it wouldn't work with this. Oh, and to correct my appalling HTML-ising, grammar and imperfect re-tensing.]