It is best that we do not neglect to maintain locks and home entrances
Leaving old, weak locks on the external doors to our home is a mistake that could help burglars to break in. Most insurers suggest that home owners fit five-lever mortice locks to all outside doors. These locks are far more difficult for intruders to force open.
Also, it’s worth being aware that hard-to-see entrances can act as a help, rather than a hindrance, to burglars. They may allow for easy, undetected access to our property. So if our front door is concealed by an overgrown hedge, now might be the time to trim it.

Tens of thousands of bicycles are stolen in the UK every year – perhaps because they’re such an easy target for opportunists. Leaving our bike outdoors overnight, or failing to secure it adequately when it’s unattended, means we make it easier for someone unscrupulous to ride away on it.

Before flying off we should cancel all deliveries such as milk or newspapers.
And ask a friend or a neighbour to pop round and move our post away from the front door.

Buying a couple of timer lights from a DIY store and set them to come on for a few hours after dark is useful.

And daring to ask a neighbour to mow our front lawn if we are away for a time; we can always do theirs in return!
We can ask them too to park their car on our driveway now and again. Just to show coming and going activity.

We must know where we are are going, and which stop we need. Obvious perhaps. Check the times of the last service
Wait in a well-lit spot, and try to avoid isolated bus stops
Have our fare or ticket ready so we don’t have to get out our purse or wallet
On an empty, or late-night bus, sit near the driver or conductor
On a train, try to sit in a carriage with other people
Keep hold of all our personal belongings
Avoid sitting near any people who make us feel uncomfortable, such as drunk, or aggressive people.

Use personal attack alarm, or scream and shout – this will attract attention, and may alarm the offender. Some people think it is better to shout ‘FIRE’ rather than ‘HELP’, as it tends to attract more attention
If someone does grab our bag, fighting back is not always a good idea.
Let it go, and get a good description of the thief, and remember his/her direction of travel
We do, however, have the right to defend ourself with reasonable force
When we get away, we should make for a safe location, and report the incident to the
police as soon as possible.

Prepare for long journeys in advance, and ensure we have enough money,
fuel, water, and a map. Take a torch
Keep all doors locked, especially after dark. This prevents people from getting
into the car, or stealing valuables whilst we are at a standstill. Never leave
property open to view in our vehicle
If driving late at night, ensure someone knows what time we are expected
home. Let someone know our whereabouts
Don’t leave our car unlocked whilst paying for petrol
When parked, never leave valuables on view in the car. It is not advisable to
leave valuables at all in the car, even in the boot. Laptops, briefcases, golf clubs, and mobile phones are often on the stolen list, aside from any audio equipment. If we have central locking the chances are, if our door is unlocked, so is our boot

Most burglaries are committed by opportunist thieves during daylight hours. In 20% of burglaries they don’t even have to use force – they enter through an open door or
window.
Consistently locking our doors and windows will reduce our risk by about 20%!
Over 60% of burglars enter through the rear of the property where they have less
chance of being seen, so reducing the opportunities for entry here can make a real difference.
Our security begins well before we reach our door. Our first layer of security is as
we enter our local community – which is where NHW starts to be effective.
It is worthwhile conducting a systematic review of our home. Try to look at our home
through the burglar’s eyes. How easy is it to get to the back of our property? How
easy is it to break-in? Are there places where they could break-in unseen? Have we fitted strong locks on our doors and windows? Would they have to make a lot of
noise by breaking glass? Is there a ladder, garden tools, or convenient bricks lying
about to use as tools?

Have we ever had to break into our home?
If we have gained entry without a key then let’s assume we were no more clever about it than a burglar!

We can keep in the pink this holiday season, by taking a few precautions. So that when we return from holiday all our possessions are still where we left them.
It’s best if our home looks like someone is living in it. And we can do this by a few simple measures. Like using automatic timer-switches to turn our lights on when it goes dark. By cancelling milk and newspaper deliveries. Cutting the grass before we go.
And uncollected mail is a sign that we are away. The Royal Mail’s ‘Keepsafe’ service will keep our mail for up to two months while we are away.
We could also leave important documents and valuable items with other family members. Or lock them in a safe.
It’s a good idea to seek help from our neighbours. Like asking them to collect post, mow the lawn even, ( they might welcome the exercise!) open and close curtains, shut our gate. They could occasionally park their car on our driveway. Really anything to make the place look lived in.

The border of our property should show a physical and psychological boundary beyond which an offender should feel uncomfortable
We should clear away vegetation and spruce up our house. A run-down looking property may attract the wrong sort of attention
Ensure our home is clearly marked with a number or name. Precious moments could be lost as emergency services struggle with unclear signs
Promote natural surveillance from those passing by. At the front of the property
keep perimeter fencing or planting low. Remove vegetation that could screen an
intruder trying to hide
At the rear, or where surveillance is not practicable, fencing should be as high as our local planning authority permit, usually 2 metres, but 1 metre next to a highway
Gates are always a potential weak point, so we should ensure they are soundly constructed, and have a secure, strong lock.
Side gates should be at least 2 metres high, and checked to see that they cannot be lifted off their hinges
Fences with a trellis on top are a cost effective barrier, as they are difficult to climb without breaking and causing a noise
Barbed or razor wire could alas nowadays leave us vulnerable to prosecution, but a thorny hedge is OK!

Leaving any evidence of valuables inside a parked vehicle can be a costly mistake, so it’s crucial to remove handbags, mobile phones and wallets from view.

However, we shouldn’t forget that even the most worthless items could tempt a thief. Even leaving the tell-tale signs of a satnav system (circular marks) on our windscreen can be a temptation to thieves. Therefore, it’s a good idea to wipe them away.