Staying and feeling safe isn’t just about personal security…

Crime isn’t just a fear of physical assault it’s also the pyschological fear and trauma if anyone should burgle your home or your property, and even if you’ve taken sensible precautions in the home what about the garden?

Equipment kept in a garden shed is just as tempting (and is sometimes used to actually break into a house). Many homes are alarmed and secured but often garages and sheds are left unsecured and offer “easy pickings”.

Here’s a few tips and advice that could deter potential intruders and keep your property and “peace of mind” secure.

Sheds garages and outbuildings:
• Use good quality locks to secure shed and garage doors
• To prevent unscrewing of door hinges use anti tamper screws or spread hard setting glue on the screw heads
• Lock windows or fit internal bars or grilles
• Fit a mains or battery powered shed alarm

Tools and equipment:
• Security mark all valuable tools with your postcode and house number which will make them less attractive to a thief
• Secure lawnmowers and other valuable equipment to a wall
• Lock away tools when not being used
• Register valuable equipment at www.immobilise.com
• Take photographs and take notes of make serial numbers
• Fit a wire cage for storing expensive items in your shed or garage

The Garden:
• Lay crunchy gravel, thieves hate making a noise
• Wheelie bins could be used to climb or take away property, so try to secure it with a padlock away from drainpipes and accessible windows
• Secure the perimeter of your garden, a good option is trellis fencing which is hard to climb over
• Use lighting as a deterrent
• Install low wattage lighting that comes on automatically
• Locate the lights so they don’t cause deep shadows anywhere
• Protect drainpipes with anti climb paint
• Plant prickly bushes and shrubs next to walls and fences