What can I do to prevent a burglary?

Coming home to find you’ve been burgled is devastating. Not only have they stolen the TV and the games consoles, they’ve also ransacked the entire house and taken many irreplaceable items of sentimental value. It’s an invasive and upsetting crime – one that leaves people feeling unsafe and vulnerable in their own homes.

By taking a few simple security measures you are five times less likely be burgled – here are our top tips:

Lock your doors and windows every time you leave the house, even when you're just out in the garden, remembering to double-lock UPVC doors.

Hide all keys including the car and shed key out of sight of the windows– you don’t want to make things any easier for them.

Install a burglar alarm with an alarm box where everyone can see it – burglars will move on to an easier target!

Remove valuables from view of ground floor windows and think about investing in a safe.

Leave radios or lights in your house on a timer when you’re out to make the property appear occupied.

Install good outside lighting.

Burglars hate gravel driveways – they make too much noise.

A dog is a great deterrent – this won’t be practical for everyone but burglars won’t risk it if they think you’ve got one.

Make sure the fences around your garden are in good condition and garden gates locked - but keep the front boundaries low with trimmed hedges so there are no hiding places.

Ask a neighbour to keep an eye out when you’re away - or join a Neighbourhood Watch scheme.

If you have an alarm, remember to put it on at night. Many people forget!

If you thave a regular routine, try to mix it up so you’re habits aren’t quite so predictable to would-be burglars.