Below is some helpful advice from Neighbourhood Watch on how to protect your property:
- How to protect your home by protecting your garden
Protecting your garden and outbuildings not only keeps bikes and other valuables in your shed safe, but can also stop burglars getting into your home.
- Low front boundary; keep hedges and walls at the front of your house low (under one metre) so burglars have nowhere to hide (tell your Resident Society as they manage the front gardens in your neighbourhood so if you need hedges altering then please let them know)
- Secure side gate; keep side gates locked at all times. Open gates mean burglars can easily access your home without being seen by passers-by or neighbours.
- High side and rear boundaries with trellis and spiky defensive planting; keep hedges, walls and fences around your back garden high (over 1.8 metres). Add lightweight trellis to gates and fences and plant some prickly plants to make it harder for burglars to climb over.
- Gravel driveway (only applicable on Seven Acres) and path; gravel driveways and paths make it harder for burglars to go undetected.
- Security light; install an outside security light so that intruders can’t approach without being seen.
- Intruder alarm system; install a burglar alarm system.
- Secure shed door and window; always keep your shed locked and secured. Often sheds contain valuables such as power tools and bicycles.
- Never leave tools lying around; never leave tools lying around as they can be used as a way of breaking into your home.
Stay secure in summer
Leaving ground floor windows, doors and patio doors open in the summer can give burglars the perfect opportunity. If you’re upstairs or out of the room, even just for a few minutes, close them and help shut burglars out.
Extra steps you can take
Consider buying a shed alarm. These are usually quite cheap but still effective.
Add an extra layer of protection to shed windows with laminate sheets of film or internal metal grills.
- Installing external CCTV to your property
We recognise that a lot of village residents are choosing to install external CCTV to their properties. We suggest you take a look at the best practice guidance issued by the Information Commissioner’s Office before proceeding to install cameras to ensure you are not contravening the law. The link to their advice is: https://ico.org.uk/your-data-matters/domestic-cctv-systems-guidance-for-people-using-cctv/
- Reporting crimes to the Police
