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Homeowners must protect against winter burglars

24/10/05

Homeowners must secure take more care to ensure their properties are secure during the winter months with thieves taking advantage of shorter daylight hours to break into houses unseen, a leading insurer warns.
 
NFU Mutual found that nearly one in five homeowners do not lock their doors at night and a further 16 per cent said they only sometimes ensured that their homes were secure.
 
But over one third of those surveyed said they that their property was protected by a burglar alarm whilst 30 per cent had installed security cameras.
 
Sid Gibson, NFU Mutual’s chief underwriting manager, said that homeowners who did not take reasonable steps to secure their properties could see their claims turned down by their home insurance company.
 
"It’s time to check door and window locks and make sure sheds and outbuildings are secured."
 
"It may be that some people in remote areas feel there is no need to lock their doors. Unfortunately our claims experience shows that today’s thieves will travel deep into the countryside to target communities which have traditionally had low crime levels," he said.
 
NFU Mutual recommends that homeowners keep valuable items out of sight and do not leave garden tools including ladders lying around near the house. Outbuildings should be fitted with padlocks.
 
It also advises that homeowners should fit a NACOSS/SSAIB approved security alarm system as well as security locks to ground floor and accessible first floor windows.  Outdoor security lights and radios or indoor lights set on a timer can deter thieves from breaking in when homes are unoccupied.