Burglary

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How to help prevent burglary happening to you

It’s estimated that in the UK, there’s  a burglary every 40 seconds.

It’s traumatic to lose valuable and personally important items from your home – and the emotional shock of having your property invaded can also be deeply upsetting.

So, how can you protect your property from intruders?

Criminals watch out for houses they think are empty and unprotected. Make their lives harder by doing the following.

• If you can, fit burglar alarms with flashing lights & sounders at the front & back of your property.
• Switch lights or a radio on when you go out. You can buy timer devices to do this automatically.
• Even if you’re only going out for a few minutes, check that all doors & windows are properly closed and locked.
• Make sure side & back gates are secure.
• Don’t leave garden tools outside, keep ladders out of sight  - & ensure sheds, garages and outbuildings are locked.
• Fit tamper-proof automatic outside security lights.
• Even when you’re at home, try not to leave accessible windows open at night.
• If you’re going away on holiday, ask a neighbour to keep an eye on your home, take in any milk & newspaper deliveries, & maybe park on your drive.
• Christmas is a key time for burglaries, with many houses full of new & valuable presents. Don’t alert burglars by leaving present packaging outside – put it all in your recycling box, out of sight.
• Don’t let yourself become a victim of a Distraction Burglary, where more than one person calls at your door, trying to dupe you into letting one caller in to burgle you whilst you are distracted by another one.

• Use UV or indelible pens, postcode etching or chemically coded systems to mark your property & make it difficult for thieves to sell it on.
• Register your valuables for free on the Immobilise website: www.immobilise.com/. If they’re stolen, it will allow you to tell the police & your insurer.
• Photograph highly valuable items such as jewellery, paintings & antiques. Keep the pictures in a safe place, outside your home.

Advice from the Money Matters team