Just a warning to those living in the Abbey home development (Havilland Woods), there's been a huge spike in crime this week. My car was broken into Thursday night along with 5 others. # more cars were broken into Friday night, and then on Saturday we had things stolen off of a moving truck while we were grabbing more things to load on it. We were seriously only inside the house for about 90 seconds. I'm so glad to be out of there! 

What do you expect you live opposite Clair and St johns close off colledge heath road its home to some of Mildenhall's finest Thieves who even with cctv of them committing robbery at home xxxx 4 years ago and 1 of them admitting it and his car on cctv at the scene the Police chose not to proscecute due to lack of evidence.Thieves only have to walk accross the road to your nice new development from the Mildenhall Ghetto.Move out if you can it will only get worse go to lords walk the homes are older but they are going to resecure the fence soon so you wont have to worry about theft. 

I'm so glad to be out of there!

We are leaving soon too, and like you we are GLAD. :)

.Move out if you can it will only get worse go to lords walk the homes are older but they are going to resecure the fence soon so you wont have to worry about theft. 

What would be better is if the community actively worked together to stop these thieves/criminals from doing what they do. This reminds me of some Pikeys that pulled some BS on me down there at the Great Heath Primary school. After I picked my son up I told one of the staff to keep an eye on the car the Pikeys were in (cause they were driving like idiots....NEAR A SCHOOL!) and all he said to me was this: "There is nothing we can do about them, we just avoid them....a "traveler" never forgets. The cops avoid them as well".

That is EXACTLY the attitude NOT to have. These people that commit these crimes don't need "political correctness"....they don't need the surrounding community to be passive.

"All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing." Edmund Burke

I think that sums it up nicely. People all around the world complain about American gun laws but we don't have such a concentrated rate of crime in seemingly small communities. In my home state there are about 1 million (literally) deer hunters. For every deer hunter there are at minimum 2-3 deer rifles....and likely a shotgun (some people deer hunt with 12 gauges). You better believe that this fact deters crime.

In all my life I have NEVER heard of people getting stabbed as often as I hear about it happening here. People need to stand up to these no good criminals, if the law won't do it then what are you supposed to do? Do what is right...that is what you do.

I think it was in a Coldplay song where they say "Sometimes even right is wrong". So if you catch someone stealing something or otherwise being a criminal slap them up! If the law presses charges on you well then so be it. I'm serious, the crime rate is literally CRAZY here.

It is so tiny, yet there are about 10,000 people living here. Those are the actual numbers too. 

@SSDD. I agree %100!

I have never been in a place where law enforcement is so lax. I am very happy to live on base at this point. We came from San Antonio. In Texas you can carry a concealed weapon. I think crooks kept that in mind. 

In Texas you can carry a concealed weapon.

I've only been to San Antonio once and LOVED it. In fact Texas is a great state....I wouldn't mind settling down there at some point. I think it is great that carrying a concealed weapon in Texas is VERY common....open carry isn't unusual there either.

Lol, my Dad got a permit to carry once....the dork never used it. It sucks we are going to Jersey and they have stricter laws regarding weapons permits. In PA it isn't hard to get a concealed carry permit, and it is legal to carry a loaded shotgun/rifle in the open in your car or truck without any sort of permit (hence seeing the occasional redneck with a gun rack in his trucks back window). You can basically pop into your nearest Walmart, buy a brand new 308 deer rifle or 870 Express 12ga...some rounds/shells and then drive away with it in plain sight!

It just can't be within easy reach. Even if a cop pulled you over they wouldn't freak out about it.

The crime here is strange because it is very preventable. People seem to look the other way more often. PA just passed a "Stand your ground" law. It goes like this:

House Bill 40 provides that "no person should be required to surrender his or her personal safety to a criminal, nor should a person be required to needlessly retreat in the face of intrusion or attack outside the person's home or vehicle."

This covers both in your own home as well as in public places. Basically the new law makes it LEGAL to use deadly force in public or in your own home against any attacker without fear of prosecution from the attacker (if he/she lives) or the attackers surviving family. AWESOME. 

I love that House Bill 40! You should be able to protect yourself and your family. It is so weird here. People are too passive. 

It is so weird here. People are too passive.

Exactly, a few of the dudes my wife works with got jumped outside of a pub by a group of "travelers". Nobody lifted a finger to help stop the attack. 

travelers are like the mofia but way skankiesr.

I remember Italy being similar, they have Gypsies, and Nijetians that were thriving criminals. The Italians were not agressive. We were told if someone breaks in to your house, to lock ourselves in a room and call the police. The US has a weak SOFA agreement with Italy and
Italy has a corrupt justice system. Injuring someone who breaks in could land you in jail. 

We were told if someone breaks in to your house, to lock ourselves in a room and call the police.

Wow, I mean like WTF?! That is crazy...it's like letting criminals know "Hey, you can go ahead and break into anyone's house and take what you want". That is a shame. 

The US has a weak SOFA agreement with Italy and
Italy has a corrupt justice system.

In other words, if we ever get stationed in Italy, we should live on base? 

In other words, if we ever get stationed in Italy, we should live on base? 


We were at Ghedi, which is a NATO base. There was no base housing. We lived in a nice Italian town for 2 years. We LOVED it there and would definitely go back and live off base. Honestly I felt safe there. The only crime you really heard about was petty crime. I didn't know of any incidence while I was there of Americans being arrested or
detained. 

What do you expect you live opposite Clair and St johns close off colledge heath road

I didn't know any of that before moving in. We had been in England for a week and everything else was taken so we settled on the first house we could find. And I never would have expected someone to have the balls to steal from me when I was only 10 foot away, but clearly I was wrong.

I feel horrible for the people coming to view my old house. I just want to scream "run while you can."

Luckily I had time to research areas before this latest move so hopefully the next two years will be much less panic inducing, and I love my new house. 

We are leaving soon too, and like you we are GLAD. :)

Are you leaving England or just that crappy area of Mildnhall? We still have 2 more years here. I love living in England but hate Mildenhall. I never really felt all that safe in that neighborhood at night time. 

Are you leaving England or just that crappy area of Mildenhall?

We are leaving England. Honestly when we first got stationed here we were like everyone else. We were like "WooHOO this is AWESOME! Living in England....a different country...this is going to be exciting!". The novelty wore off about 6 months afterwards and we were left with the day to day doldrums of English life. At that point we had 3 1/2 years left! Yikes!

Now for us March will mark our 4th year here....and of course our departure onto bigger and better things. When we see people that ask us "Where are you going next?". We say "New Jersey" and always get the same reaction: "Oh, oh dear....well good luck with that" (in a somewhat "I feel sorry for you" tone) but the fact is we are both (the wife & I) from the same small town in PA....we will only be 6 hours from home!

This is the first time we've been so close to home in about 8 years. We are STOKED. Not only that but we will be about 1 1/2 hours from NYC, 30 minutes from Philly and about 2 hours from Dover AFB (which is a very nice area). Oh and we will only be 3 1/2 hours from DC! For us it is PRIME placement....and our old neighbors from our last base (Moody AFB) are already stationed at McGuire!

It'll be nice to take a long weekend and just go home and see my Dad.

We too lived in Mildenhall Village for our first house. That is roundabout (lol!) the time when my trucks back window got smashed out. Just after that we moved. It's not a very cool little town after you've dealt with that kinda crap.....NOTHING "quaint" about it.

When most people think of the English they think of tea drinking modern versions of the Hobbits. No offense. What I mean is most people think of SUPER peaceful and relaxed people. But in fact it is quite the opposite in many cases. All you have to do is be a victim of some ludicrous crime (i.e. someone stealing something from you when you are only ten feet away). When our window got smashed out we were literally only inside the house for about 3 minutes....I remember that day perfectly. I had just gotten done putting on the "I heart LYS" sticker on the back window of the truck. I snapped a pic when I was done....that was around 7:45PM (in the summer). I went inside to give a customer their computer I had worked on (I was repairing computers for people) and then we went outside when they left....they actually saw the broken window first. That was at 7:48-7:49PM. It was completely smashed.

Nobody heard ANYTHING. We just saw the aftermath. It looked like someone walked up with a hatchet and made one quick strike with it. It was literally a BRAND NEW truck.....we only had it for about a week at that point. Total BS having to deal with that crap....I wanted to KILL the person that did it.

That was just one incident in a string of many that changed our minds about being here. I've never dealt with anything as troublesome (crime wise) at our last base or in my hometown. The problem with where we lived in Mildenhall is this...we lived next to a Caravan park. Also, we lived on "Woodlands Way" which for the most part is comparable to living in a "ghetto" (although our house was nice) or a "white trash trailer park". Lots of dirty, greasy looking teenagers walking around...up to NO good.

My Son used to go to school down at "Great Heath" primary school.....sit down there in the parking lot of McColl's and you WILL see lots of people that are extremely shady looking. I'm not judging either....I know shady people by their appearances (be it poor or rich) there is just a certain "way" about them. Not only that but there are some Pikeys that have kids down there....the same group of Pikeys that passed me on a SPEEDBUMP doing about 45! 

Ive lived in England for 27 years and have never been a victim of crime. I come from a much better area just south of Cambridge. You need to be careful with generlisations. We lived in Tucson before here and there would certainly be no way in hell id walk through downtown Tucson alone at night - but I dont think the whole of the USA is the same. Every place has it's bad areas. Just unfortunate that the bases here are are in a pretty horrible area of the country. My dad jokes that I live in 'Pikey-ville' now! 

Also...I might change my user name to 'tea drinking hobbit'?! 

My dad jokes that I live in 'Pikey-ville' now!

I agree with him! Also, just to clarify....I'm not generalizing. I HATE when people lump everyone together into one group. You'd have to know me I suppose...I'm the type of person where if I mean everyone I make it perfectly clear that I mean everyone. If I don't address that specifically then it is perfectly safe to assume that I'm not generalizing and lumping everyone into one group.

It is one of my pet peeves. So I don't do it. I'm sure England can be very diverse...but as it's been said before England is about the same size as Louisiana so it's diversity is quite limited compared to the USA.

Also "Tea Drinking Hobbit" has a certain ring to it! That's what I'm Tolkien about! :) 

Oh for godsake SSDD when are you leaving this country, hope it's not too far away, you really are the most miserable sounding individual!!! Would you like some vinegar for that massive chip on your shoulder?! And stop using the term 'pikey' it is very rude and uneducated of you!! 

Why did they smash the window? Did they take something from inside? If you leave something on show and someone 'undesirable' walks past they will most likely take it. If you ask for trouble, you will get it. I have lived in Lakenheath for 12 years and have NEVER had trouble, but then I don't ask for it. Please don't make out that ALL ENGLISH are the same otherwise the English will start treating the American's all the same and I am sure that you are not!!!! 

Please don't think I approve of their actions as I absolutely don't and I have been a victim once but not near here. I have also felt very vulnerable when I was on vacation in California but that is because I didn't understand the country/people, the same as American's here don't understand. Everybody needs to be given a chance before judging. 

Why did they smash the window? Did they take something from inside? If you leave something on show and someone 'undesirable' walks past they will most likely take it. If you ask for trouble, you will get it.



It was a brand new truck....with NOTHING inside. It was an "XL" model of the Ford Ranger and didn't even come with a CD/Tape deck. AM/FM radio is all it came with. I'll upload some pics of it.

The ONLY conclusion is that it was in fact the only American vehicle on the entire block. People can judge me over that assumption, but it is the truth. 

And stop using the term 'pikey' it is very rude and uneducated of you!!

Pikey, pikey, pikey!!!! HAHAHAHA. What is so wrong about it? In a country where half of the curse words aren't found offensive I'd like to know why "Pikey" is considered to be offensive. Are you a "traveler"?

I'm not trying to start anything but I have to ask. Pikey is short for "someone that regularly travels the turnpike"

I asked a few British friends awhile back if they thought "Pikey" was offensive. Their answer was a unanimous "No". One of them even said pikeys were nothing more than "soap dodging criminals"....let me ask you this then, if Pikey is offensive to you than is "Chav" offensive too?

Trust me, nothing "uneducated" comes out of my noggin.

I also want to point out that where I come from not many people have even heard the term. It has become increasingly popular however due to Guy Ritchie's movie "Snatch".

If you personally find it offensive then I suppose you are probably going by the definition of it being related to "gypsy" subject matter. I just find it interesting on many levels about what is deemed "offensive" by Brits and Americans. Some Americans find "Yank" to be offensive...as there are those Brits in this country that do call Americans "Yanks". I personally do NOT find it offensive. Why should I? I'm an American, that is also from the North. I am actually quite proud to be a "Yankee". I've lived down South for a number of years and have been called "Yankee" and "Northerner" by a few Southern Americans.

Alot of British slang that is used in an offensive way would mean "Feck All" to Americans. Lol, please don't take any of what I'm saying as intending on being rude. I'm typing quite a jovial manner. Many Americans have to actually Google many of the British slang to get it's meaning. Take the "C" word for example. Here in England it is used quite often and not nowhere near as offensive as it is in the USA. Now, in England there is yet another word for the "C" word that to many Americans will send them searching the internet to find it's meaning (if then don't already know). That word is "Minge".

Now, a word that we Americans often use "Bummer" comes across as rude or offensive to Brits. This is because they associate the word "Bum" with someones butt. We don't, the word "Bum" to us is someone that constantly begs for crap....usually fags, or what we Americans would call a bundle of sticks....wait, I mean a cigarette. To us a "Bummer" (something the Dude says a few times..."That is a bummer man!") is a depressing situation. Basically means "a let down".

Before you take offense to something you need to look at who is saying it first. Then, decide for yourself if they are intending it to be offensive in the manner in which you are perceiving it to be. I used the term "pikey" when talking about my trucks smashed window. Why? Because I think it was a "pikey" that did it. In this day and age of "totalitarian political correctness or die" I suppose to keep a few people from being shocked I could have simply said "traveler" because at the end of the day it was someone NOT from my neighborhood that singled out the "yank" vehicle and smashed out my window. If in some twisted world that makes ME a racist then so be it....I know where my heart truly is. 

These next pics were taken on the 14th of August in 2009. My camera died and when the battery was recharged the date went back to default:

This pic was taken at around 7PM



This is the SAME day and was only taken about a half hour later









How many of you would shrug this off (keep in mind you JUST spent $12,000 on the truck)? How many of you would be LIVID? Remember....I lived across the street from a "caravan park" and a very wooded area. My neighbors were all very nice people to boot. This, honestly, was a traveling job. Basically the truck was singled out, someone must have picked it out, walked up and hit it with a hatchet and walked away. As you can see from the pics there is NOTHING to steal in it. Nope, it was done just to relay a message/for spite. Shameful people.

I checked for a rock or any other debris that could have caused the damage. There was none, this was done deliberately with a tool. 

Saying Pikey here is like saying the N word in The States. I hope you don't say that word too! 

Peace i believe we are wasting our breath. SSDD is far from being a fan of this country!! Just a thought SSDD looking at your photos are you sure it wasn't somebody who was pissed off with LYS that smashed your window!!
I was merely trying to give you a heads up on the name calling!! To answer your question no I am not a traveller but neither am I a name caller, i leave that to the kids in the playground!! 

Taloolah Brit Belle,
If you honestly think for a minute that someone would get "pissed off with LYS" enough that they'd go around smashing windows in cars, don't you think more cars in the tri-base area would have smashed out windows? And if people are getting pissed off at a site to buy another person's trash, then they need to step back from the computer, take a deep breath, and re-evaluate their life. 

Saying Pikey here is like saying the N word in The States. I hope you don't say that word too!

I'm pretty confident (99.99999% sure) SSDD isn't a racist, but this is how I see it too. Thanks Peace. 

OMG Heather you actually thought i was being serious!!!!!!!!!!!! 

Honestly peeps Mildenhall and surrounding areas are not crime hot spots! Guess a few people have just got unlucky. We actually asked a local policeman what it was like here before we bought our house. I don't regret moving here at all, Mildenhall is a doddle to live in!!