Guidance on protecting your home from burglars

Around the home

Windows

  • If installing new windows check they conform to BS7950 ‘Windows of Enhanced Security’
  • Consider using laminated glass (harder to break) or can buy special film to stick on inside of glass that will toughen it
  • Fit window locks with keys (acts as deterrent - the thief would have to break the glass and risk attracting attention. Then they still can’t open it so risk cutting themselves climbing through the broken glass.
  • Don’t leave keys in the lock (thief will break window then open using key)
  • Consider locks on small windows too – thief can get through any gap larger than a human head

Doors

  • If installing new doors check they conform to British Standard PAS 24-1 'Doors of Enhanced Security'.
  • Fit chain / bar and a means of checking who is at the door (e.g. door viewer / window)
  • Fit five-lever mortise deadlocks (Kitemarked BS3621) to all outside doors, including French doors. You can only open a deadlock with a key, so a thief can’t smash the nearby glass panel to open the door from the inside. Deadlocks also mean that if burglars get into your home through a window, they can’t carry your belongings out through the door.
  • Make wooden doors stronger by fitting a steel strip and plates to the door frame and around the lock.

Before fitting locks to PVC-U or metal windows and doors, talk to the installer to make surethis will not affect your warranty.

Make sure that any improvements you make don’t stop you from getting out of your house as quickly as possible if there is a fire.

Letterboxes

  • Never hang a spare key inside the letterbox (obvious to a thief)
  • Letterboxes should be at least 400mm(16 inches) from any locks.
  • Consider fitting letterbox cage (prevents thieves from putting their hands through and trying the latches from the inside.

Keys

  • Never leave a spare key in a convenient hiding place such as underthe doormat, in a flowerpot or behind a loose brick – thieves knowall the usual hiding places.
  • If you move into a new home, change the front and back doorlocks immediately – other people may have keys that fit.
  • Never leave your house or car keys in or near a door or window.Some thieves have been known to use a fishing rod or magnet ona stick to steal them through the letterbox.
  • Decide on a safe place for your keys and always use it, so you canfind them in an emergency.

Outside the home

Lighting

  • Install outside lighting - high-efficiency low-energy controlled by a dusk-to-dawn switch (comes on only when it’s dark) is best.
  • Fit lights out of easy reach – at a height of at least 2.5 metres (eight feet).

Gardens, gates and fences

  • Solid fences or walls (particularly those with a flat or rounded top) are relatively easy for a burglar to climb over. Fixing trellising to the top can make it more difficult.
  • A thorny hedge along the boundary of your property can put thieves off.
  • Don’t use barbed or razor wire, or broken glass – you could be held legally responsible for any injuries caused. You can get safer alternatives that are designed not to cut or injure.
  • Make sure that passers-by can still see the front of your home so that a burglar can’t work without being seen.
  • Grow prickly shrubs underneath windows.
  • Don’t build pergolas, gazebos and so on too near to the house, they can help thieves reach upper windows.
  • Store wheelie bins or other potential climbing aids behind locked gates, so burglars can’t climb up on them.
  • Gravel driveways and paths make a silent approach difficult.
  • Ensure your insurance covers theft from sheds and gardens.

Garages and sheds

  • Garages and sheds are often full of expensive tools, which are ideal for breaking into the rest of the house.
  • Never leave a garage or garden shed unlocked, especially if it has a connecting door to the house. A thief could get in and work on the door inside without being seen.
  • Fit strong padlocks to shed and garage doors, and make sure that the doors are solid enough not to be kicked in.
  • Lock ladders inside your garage / shed or padlock horizontally to sturdy bracket on outside wall to stop a thief using them to reach upstairs windows.

Make it look like you are at home when you are out

  • Don’t leave curtains closed during the daytime.
  • Use time switches to turn on lights, radios and other applianceswhen you’re out. You can buy these from DIY shops. But don’tuse them if they will show a burglar that you're out, e.g. in ground floor rooms where the curtains have been left open.
  • Keep all valuable items out of sight.
  • When you go out, always lock the door and close the windows – even if you are just going out for a short time.

Make it look like you are at home when you are away

  • Cancel any milk or newspaper deliveries
  • Cut the lawn before you go
  • The Royal Mail’s ‘Keepsafe’ service will keep your mail for up to two months while youare away.
  • Disconnect your answerphone
  • Leave a radio and lights on a timer switch
  • Don’t put your home address on luggage labels when travelling toyour destination
  • If you can, get a friend or neighbour to look after your home while you’re away. Ask them to collect your post, draw your curtains at night and open them in the mornings, and generally make the place look lived-in. Ask them to park on your drive occasionally. Be prepared to do the same for them.
  • If you normally leave valuable pedal cycles or similar items in your shed, consider putting them in the house.
  • Check your insurance policy – some don’t cover you if you are away for more than 30 days.

Burglar alarms

  • Choice of audible-only alarm (which sets off a siren or bell) or a monitored alarm (connected to a central 'listening' service).
  • Ask the crime prevention officer at your local police station for advice before you buy an alarm.
  • Get at least three quotes and specialist advice from companies that supply alarms. Use companies registered with either the National Security Inspectorate or Security Systems and Alarm Inspection Board.
  • Talk to your insurance company about the alarm companies they recommend before you decide which best suits your needs.
  • The system should meet British Standard BS4737 or BS6799(wire-free) or the new European Standard EN50131-1.

Record and mark your belongings

  • Items should be visibly and permanently marked showing your postcode and the number of your house or flat or the first two letters of its name.
  • Only use an ultraviolet marker pen when other methods would reduce the value of the object (the mark isn’t visible - might not put burglars off or make it more difficult for them to sell the marked item)
  • Take pictures of all valuables (e.g. jewellery, silverware)

- Use a non-reflective background- Put a ruler next to the item to provide a sense of scale

- Make sure there is enough light- Make sure the object is in focus

- Keep the pictures in a safe place- Give a second copy of the pictures to a trusted friend or relative

  • Write down makes, models and serial numbers of your electronic goods e.g. TV, DVD player, computer, camera. This will help the police identify them if they are stolen.
  • Ask your local police station for advice on how to get stickers to display in the front and back windows of your home to show that you have marked your belongings.
  • Always password protect your computer / documents stored on it. Make back-up copies on CD / hard drive and ‘watermark’ documents (helps protect your copyright and will mean you have a copy of your work if the computer is stolen).
  • You can get your IMEI number (15-digit serial number) for your mobile phone by keying *#06# into most phones or by looking behind your phone battery.

If you are burgled

If you get home and notice signs of a break-in:

  • don’t go in or shout as the burglar could still be inside
  • go to a neighbour’s to call the police – if you think the burglar is still inside, let the police know
  • don’t touch anything, you could destroy valuable evidence

Distraction burglary (burglar tries to trick way in)

  • May say they arefrom the water, gas or electric company or the local council
  • They may ask for a glass of water, or to wash their hands or claim to have lost a pet
  • They can be young (even children) or old, male or female,and might work alone or in teams.
  • If you are not expecting anyone check they have an appointment
  • Make sure the back door is locked – somethieves work in pairs with the other one sneaking in theback while you’re at the front door
  • Put the door bar or chain on before you openthe door
  • Check their identity carefully - ask for an ID card then close the door and check using a phone number from thephone book or a relevant bill, not the one on the card they provide

Other points

  • Small safes, hidden and securely fixed, are ideal for spare chequebooks, credit cards, passports, jewellery and so on.
  • Never leave car documents or ID in obvious places such as kitchens or hallways.
  • Never put your surname, address or even your house number on your keys in case they fall into the wrong hands.
  • Take your mobile to bed with you. If someone breaks in, you can use it to call the police even if they’ve disconnected your normal phone.

Information above prepared from leaflets published by Home Office and various police forces.

Useful websites

The above websites publish leaflets including:

• Peace of mind while you are away• Peace of mind while you move home

• Coded for keeps• How to beat the bogus caller

• Be safe, be secure – your practical guide to crime prevention.

(police website)

Focuses on crime prevention at the design, layout and construction stages of homes and commercial premises and promotes the use of security standards for a wide range of applications and products

(supported by various police forces):

Create a free private and secure portfolio of all your personal property. If it is then lost or stolen, use Immobilise to tell law enforcement, your insurer, and the second-hand trade to assist in recovering your property and catch the thief.