Home Security Advice

Check the security of your home against the advice on this page, and strengthen the weak spots as soon as possible. A small outlay, will, in many cases, make your home much more secure – and buy peace of mind into the bargain.

A lot of burglaries can be prevented. Most are committed by opportunist thieves, and in two burglaries out of ten the thief does not have to force his way in because a door or window has been left open. Burglars like easy opportunities. They don’t like locked windows because breaking glass attracts attention. They don’t like security deadlocks on doors because they cannot open them even from the inside and they have to get out through a window. Simple precautions like these do work.

• Strangers: Be alert to people loitering in residential streets. If it is no one you recognise, call the police.
• Burglar alarms: Visible burglar alarms make burglars think twice.
• Front Door Roof: A thief could reach first floor windows from this roof – so fit window locks.
• Gates and Fences: A high wall or fence at the back of a house can put off a burglars. Check for weak spots where a thief could get in. A thorny hedge along a boundary an also be a useful deterrent. Make sure the front of the house is still visible to passers by, so that a burglar can’t work unseen. (see Garden Security)
• Small Windows: Even small windows like casement windows, skylights or bathroom fanlights need locks. A thief can get in through any gap larger than a human head.
• Spare Keys: Never leave a spare key in a hiding place like under a doormat, in a flowerpot or inside a letterbox – a thief will look there first. Never leave any keys in an obvious place in the house. If a burglar does get in, keys to unlock the doors give them an easy exit that they can take larger items through (A burglar may get in through a window but taking things out this way will prove difficult). This goes for spare car keys as well - imagine a burglar gets in your house gets all the keys, loads up your car with your property and drives off - every burglars dream!
• Garages and Sheds: Never leave a garage or garden shed unlocked, especially if it has a connecting door to the house. Lock tools and ladders away so that a thief cannot use them to break in. (see Garden Security)
• Side passage: Stop a thief getting to the back of the house – where he can work with less chance of being seen – by fitting a strong, high gate across the passage. If you share an alleyway with a neighbour, talk to him or her about sharing the cost.
• NHW: Join your local Neighbourhood Watch scheme - start one if there isn't one in your area - contact your Neighbourhood Watch Liaison Officer.
• Most importantly - after you have fitted all your security devices USE THEM. A Burglar isn't stopped by the most expensive lock if it isn't locked!

• Make sure your front door is strong. It should be as strongly built as the main outside door of the block. If it isn’t, get another one or ask your local council to do it. Fit hinge bolts which stop someone pulling the door from its hinges. And fix a special steel strip into the doorframe.
• If your block does not have a telephone entry system, talk to the landlord or council about putting one in. This may be easier if you get together with other tenants to form a tenants’ association.
• If you do have a telephone entry system, don’t let strangers in or hold the door open for someone who is arriving as you are leaving.

If you live in a student halls of residence, a bedsit or some other type of shared accommodation, you should try to follow all the home security measures in this booklet. You also need to be careful to keep your room locked when you go out to use the kitchen or bathroom. Don’t leave keys in your door, or lying about in any common room. Avoid putting your name or room number on your keyring in case it gets lost or stolen.

• Never leave cash or valuables on open view in your room; lock them out of sight. Try to limit the amount of jewellery or electrical equipment you keep with you.
• Always lock main entrance doors behind you. Try to avoid letting anyone you don’t know into the building along with you. Be aware of any strangers around the corridors to the building, and report any suspicious activity to the warden, security staff or the police.

Beware, not all burglars have to break and enter! Burglars won't go to the trouble of breaking in if they can just knock and be invited in. So always be on your guard when anyone you're not expecting turns up at your door. Crooks come in many disguises; it could be a man, a woman or even a child. These bogus officials may be smartly dressed and claim to be from the council, gas or electricity board, health authority or other organisation. They may even be wearing some sort of uniform. Their real purpose is to talk their way into your home to see what they can steal. Some even claim to be police officers and have succeeded in tricking people out of considerable amounts of money. If someone calls at your home and you are not expecting them, follow this advice:

• The best defences against a doubtful caller are a viewer or spyhole in the door and a stout door chain. Remember, if in doubt, keep them out.
• Always make sure that visitors are who they say they are. If they say they are from the police, gas, or electricity board, ask to see their card. Check it by ringing their local office. Don’t use a number on their card, but look it up in the phone book.
• If you are worried, ring the police.
• Don’t let the caller stop you doing these things by saying he or she is in a hurry. A genuine caller won’t mind waiting outside with the door closed while you ring. Remember to keep the door chain on until you are sure your caller is genuine.
• Be wary of salespeople who call unannounced and try to persuade you to spend your money on an investment scheme. Such schemes don’t guarantee you will make any more money, and you could end up losing it. Check with the Securities and Investments Board that the salesperson is a member of an approved trade body. If they are not, you will not be entitled to any compensation. Be particularly careful of offers from overseas, as you will probably not be able to pursue the case through the courts in this country if you are defrauded.
• Bogus callers may offer to buy your antiques, furniture or jewellery, at what seems to be a good price. Chances are they are trying to trick you into selling something for a lot less than it's worth. If you want to sell something choose one or two genuine dealers to value it, or ask a friend or relative for their advice.
• Another common ploy is for bogus workmen to say they need to come in to check something or make urgent repairs. They may also claim to have noticed a fault in your roof or walls, or offer to resurface a path or drive, or ask if they can cut down some of your trees. They are skilled con-men and will almost always sound genuine, offering a cut-price service, usually for cash. Before letting these callers in, or accepting their offers, please obtain advice.
• Always seek advice from an independent source. Never sign anything on the spot. A good place to start is Trading Standards or Citizens Advice.
• Talk to your Neighbourhood Watch Coordinator to see if there is an initiative in your area. These include Call a Friend and Watch Dial, which can help vulnerable people but can also help to tell others quickly if there is a Bogus Caller in the area.

If your possessions are worth a lot of money or you live in an area with a lot of burglaries, you should consider a burglar alarm or a safe. Ranging from inexpensive DIY kits to sophisticated systems costing hundreds of pounds, there are scores of burglar alarms on the market. Quality fitted alarms will certainly be a deterrent to burglars. Easily installable ‘wire-free’ alarms are now available whereby sensors fitted around the house transmit radio detection signals to a control system. These systems usually take 3-4 hours to fit. Wired alarms are cheaper but take longer – around a day – to install.

Get specialist advice and a number of quotes. Consult your insurance company for the companies they recommend. The system installed should meet BS4737 (professionally installed) or BS6707 (DIY).

Remember, a badly-fitted alarm can create problems in itself - your neighbours will no doubt ignore an alarm if it goes off every night for no reason. Don’t install a DIY system unless you have the electrical knowledge and practical skill to do so.

Safes also range in price. If you purchase a small safe, make sure it is well hidden - a thief may take it to open later. Never advertise the fact you have a safe as this can give the impression that you have a lot of money.

Look in when you’re out. Most burglaries happen when a house or flat is empty. Good lighting can deter a thief.

• Some exterior lights have light sensors or an infra-red sensor that switches the light on for a short time when it detects something in its range.
• Sensors can be bought separately to convert an existing outdoor light into a security one.
• Use time switches – available from DIY shops – to turn on lights, radios and other appliances when you’re out.

• If your front and back doors are not strong and safe, neither is your home. First of all, make sure the doors themselves are of strong, solid core construction, 44mm thick.
• Glass panels are especially vulnerable. If any of your doors seem flimsy, replace them with solid core as above. If you are a council tenant, call the housing department about it.
• If you are intending to install a PVC door, before you buy it, check with the manufacturer that a door chain will be fitted. It can be very difficult and expensive to have a chain fitted to an existing PVC door.
• Fit a door viewer - they mean you can see who callers are before opening the door.
• Fit back and front doors with a five-lever mortice deadlock, to BS3621 or equivalent (seek advice from your local Master Locksmith). A deadlock can only be opened with a key, so a thief cannot smash a nearby glass panel to open the door from the inside. If the thief enters the property through a window they can’t carry your belongings out through the door.
• Fan light locks have a metal bolt to secure the metal arm used to open and close the window.
• Remember to fit all security devices with strong screws or bolts.
• Check that the door hinges are sturdy and secured with strong, long screws. For added security fit hinge bolts. These are inexpensive and help to reinforce the hinge side of a door against the use of force.

You should get specialist advice on fitting locks to patio doors. They should have special locks fitted top and bottom unless fitted with a multi-locking system. Also install an anti-lift device to stop a thief simply lifting the door off its rail. Fit security mortice locks to french doors, and mortice bolts to the top and bottom of both doors.

With all security, consideration must be given to the risk of fire, and means of escape. Fit a smoke detector, conforming to BS5446.

A third of burglars get in through a back window, easily visible locks may deter some thieves

• DIY shops sell inexpensive key-operated locks to fit all kinds of window. If you are a tenant you may be able to get the council or landlord to pay to have them fitted for you.
• A lock forces the thief to break the glass, and risk attracting attention. Secure the most vulnerable windows first: ground floor windows, windows which can’t be seen from the street and windows with can be reached from a drainpipe or flat roof.
• If you are getting new glass for your windows, consider laminated glass – a thief will find it hard to break. As a last resort, think about security grilles for your windows.
• Even small windows such as skylights or bathroom fanlights need locks – a thief can get through any gap larger than a human head.
• Louvre windows are especially vulnerable because the slats can easily be removed from the frame. Glue the slats in place with an epoxy resin, and fit a special louvre lock. Better still, replace them with fixed glass.
• Casement locks make it impossible to open the window without the correct key.

If you are buying a new home, look out for the Secured by Design symbol. This scheme has been developed to help homebuyers identify builders who have consulted the police to incorporate crime prevention measures. Standards cover estate design, home security measures and security lighting, and alarm systems.

Most burglaries happen when a house or flat is empty. Don’t advertise your absence when you’re on holiday, or even out at work or shopping. For more information and tips, go to the Your Home section of the Holiday Security page.

Thieves like portable, high value, easily saleable goods like TVs, videos, hi-fi, home computers, cameras, jewellery, silverware and antiques. You can mark these things with your postcode and the number of your house or flat. You can get inexpensive kits to do this from DIY stores and stationers. You can also permanently etch items with a special etching or engraving tool. This is preferable to ultra-violet or ‘invisible’ marking which can fade or be removed. You may want to share the cost with neighbours or friends. Other methods of marking include punching (for heavier metal items such as bicycles and lawnmowers) and ceramic markers (for china, glass or glazed surfaces) which don't scratch or cut the surface.

Keep a list, too, of the serial numbers of your television, video and hi-fi equipment. The numbers will be useful if you need to make an insurance claim.

• The first half of the postcode indicates your town and area such as: NT42.
• The second half pinpoints the locality within that area, and part of a street, such as: NT42 9WA.
• Mark your valuables using the postcode followed by your house number such as: NT42 9WA 7.

The police will let you have a sticker for your window saying your possessions are marked. This will put off burglars. If you have things like jewellery or silver which you don’t want to mark, take colour photos of them to include hallmarks and other identifying marks. If your property is stolen, this will help the police identify it if it turns up.

A secure home will reduce the chance of you getting burgled. But, if you get home and notice signs of a break-in:

• Don’t go in or call out – the intruder could still be inside.
• Go to a neighbour’s to call the police.
• Don't touch anything or tidy up.
• If you are woken or at home and think there is a burglar in the house, never confront them. If you have a phone in your room, use it to call the police. Calling out to someone, even if you are alone in house, can scare off a burglar - all they want is property, they will rarely confront you unless they have to.
  

The telephone can be used by potential burglars and attackers to gain information. Here are a few tips to follow:

• When answering the telephone just say 'hello'. Do not give your number. Most 'funny' telephone calls are made by dialling a combination of numbers and as long as you do not tell them your number the chances are you will never hear from them again.
• Never give personal information (your name, address, age, etc.) to a stranger on the telephone.
• Never let a stranger on the telephone know when you will be home or out.
• Women - If your husband is not home, do not say this on the telephone. Simply say he is not available. Take the caller's number and say your husband will return the call.
• Women - If you live alone only list your initials and surname in the telephone directory. This also goes for any nameplate you may put on your door.
• If you should receive an obscene call, put the receiver down & inform the Police.