Scots pensioner fears she's being 'watched' after Christmas tree dumped in her garden

Daily Record

20-05-2025

Judy Lothian has been left feeling uneasy in her own home and believes the culprit may have been watching her.
A Scots pensioner has been left "paranoid" someone is watching her home after a fly tipper dumped a Christmas tree in her front garden.
Judy Lothian, from Clermiston, Edinburgh, revealed the incident has left her feeling uneasy in her own home as she believes the culprit may have been watching her, reports Edinburgh Live.
‌
The council tenant, who lives with mobility issues, recently lost her partner and lives at home with her two dogs, and is reliant on her sister for help around the house and garden.
‌
On the morning of Monday, May 19, her sister had spent hours tidying up the front lawn with the pair having gone out to drop off garden waste.
After dropping off the rubbish, the siblings decided to go shopping but on their return the dead Christmas tree could be seen poking out of her flowers and hedge. Judy is adamant the tree must have been dumped between the hours of 10am and 1pm in the afternoon.
She believes someone may have observed her having garden work done and when she left her home, they seized their opportunity to dump the tree in the hope she would get rid of it.
'It has set off the paranoia,' Judy said. 'I'm now worried someone is watching the house, it is really worrying.
'I recently lost my partner and all I have left are my two dogs. It is depressing someone has done this.
'It's really p****d me off. My sister has spent hours getting the garden nice and for someone to dump the tree between my rhododendron and hedge.
‌
'It definitely was not there this morning. We went out at 10am and came back at 1pm and we could see it sticking out.
'See if the person had just tapped my door to ask if I could get rid of it for them then that would be different. I cannot afford the garden uplift myself hence why my sister has had to take the garden waste away.'
Judy has contacted Edinburgh Council to try to arrange an uplift. Edinburgh Council have been approached for comment.
‌
Last month, in an unrelated incident, we reported that a "bizarre" burglar was caught on camera breaking into a car - and stealing an Easter Egg.
‌
A shocked Edinburgh homeowner spotted the chocolate thief entering the driveway of their Corstorphine house on Wednesday, April 23. The video clip shows the man opening the door of a Mini parked in the drive.
Over the next 30 seconds, the unknown man can be seen stealing and unwrapping a Mini Egg easter egg. He then appears to stuff the chocolate egg into his pocket before throwing the discarded rubbish back into the vehicle.
‌
The baffled homeowner, who was left puzzled by the footage, said a £400 paddle board lay across the backseat of the car next to the egg, yet the burglar decided to leave it in favour of the chocolate treat.
"It was really bizarre," they said. "He broke into my car and took a chocolate Easter egg and unwrapped it all.
"He then pocketed the chocolate and put all the rubbish back into my car. There was a £400 paddleboard on the back seat that he ignored.
"It felt equally violating and bizarre. It is confusing behaviour."
Police Scotland were approached for comment.