Beat the burglar and don't relax your home security. Burglaries do take place in the daytime; you should adopt the same security measures in the day as you would at night. An opportunist offender will make a spur of the moment decision. If they see an open door whilst you are distracted in the garden they will sneak in and steal the valuables you have on show. Never leave keys on hooks or work tops and items such as handbags, wallets, mobile phones should be out of sight in a safe place. Remember if you are in the garden and cannot see your door - it should be locked. By locking your door and moving items from display you are reducing the risk of becoming a victim.


Offenders will look for homes that appear unoccupied with little or no security. Stand back and take a good look at your home and think what you can do to give the appearance that you are in. Consider using timers - these are not just for when you go on away, contrary to popular opinion a burglar will not stake out your property and wait for you to go on holiday. Even during lighter nights most people when home will have a light on within their property

Most burglaries occur at the rear of a property. Restrict access to the back of your home with gates that you can lock. If you see an area in your boundary where you think an offender may climb consider planting thorny shrubs or rambling roses to form a natural barrier.

Protect your outbuildings with good quality closed shackle padlocks. Ensure that hinges cannot be unscrewed from the outside. Chain items together or to a secure anchor point so they cannot be lifted and carried away.

Vehicles should be parked in a garage when possible. If you have to leave a vehicle on a drive or roadside make sure all valuables are removed. Even a coat left on a seat would be tempting to a thief.

And finally ensure all your property is posted coded. UV pens will mark your property and can only be seen if read under a UV light. However, outdoor equipment such as lawnmowers can be visibly marked by engraving or permanent marker pen - this will act as a visible deterrent and make items harder to sell on by a thief.