Just what is it with old people and their reluctance to use the door chain when they answer the front door? My dad has a very sturdy one fitted but he refuses to use it. He doesn’t ask who it is, or look through the spy-hole, he just opens the door.

He has even started to let people into the flat without knowing who they are. I keep trying to drum it into him that there are plenty of people out there who target elderly and vulnerable people and will think nothing of pushing him over and coming in.

He will either say it is his flat and he will answer the door how he pleases, or he will say “nobody would dare push me over, I’d kill them!”. Yes, of course you will dad. This is coming from someone who gets out of breath taking a piss!

He opened the door to a woman this morning at about 8am while I was asleep. The lady was form British Gas and actually thought we were another flat with the same number. She showed him no ID. I told him off and he got the hump with me for the rest of the day.

What if I had gone away for a couple of days?

I’ll ask one of my sisters to tell him, he always listens to his two little princesses.