Police Offer Home Security Advice

Police have launched a new campaign to raise awareness among homeowners of opportunistic thieves during the summer. The force's burglary figures showed that a third of all incidents were recorded during the summer months during the last financial year, meaning many local residents will have had to claim on their home insurance.

A Superintendent for the force said that thieves will look to take advantage of any opportunity to steal and urged homeowners to be aware of the risks.

"Leaving doors or windows unlocked or ajar whilst you may have only popped out for a few minutes or are simply in the back garden enjoying a BBQ can give them the opening they need," he remarked.

Top tips to prevent you from being a target:

•    Check gates and fences, as an open or unlocked gate or even a broken fence can be seen as a temptation to a potential thief.
•    Burglaries have been known to take place when the homeowners are in. Make sure that you always keep the windows and doors fully locked particularly in an unoccupied room, especially when out in the garden.
•    Keep desirable items out of view and out of reach to passers-by on the street. Valuables should not be visible from windows and doors in your home.
•    Secure the rear of your property with a fence/wall to a height of at least 1.8 metres, a lockable gate to a similar height, if there is a footpath to the rear of your garden increase the height of the fence to 2 metres by attaching a trellis. Thorny hedges could also be planted by your property to deter burglars.
•    Consider putting gravel on areas by your windows. The noise produced when stepping on gravel could alert the homeowners that someone is approaching the property.
•    Never leave the windows and doors unlocked when you are out. Switch on the lights before you go out at night.
•    Windows should be left on the catch if they have to be kept open during the night. Otherwise, it is best to keep them locked securely. And switch the burglar alarm on before you go to bed.

If you would like to know more about home security why not ask AnswerBank Home and Garden.