Welford Incidents

• Burglary. Barton Road. Two male offenders wearing balaclavas have forced entry through a window of the premises using a crowbar type instrument. They have then threatened the occupants before making off with a Rolex Watch. A vehicle was heard to leave the area. 3am Thursday 23^rd July. 0035 23/07/2020

Keep your home safe

Burglars are often opportunistic thieves who prey on houses and flats. They seek out any opening that they can take advantage of, specifically doors and windows that are left open or unlocked or are easy to force. Anything of value that they might spot through a window will only spur them on. But it really doesn’t take much to deter these thieves – just smart thinking.

Burglar facts

• •Burglars target homes that they think will contain valuables. A sure giveaway is leaving packaging from expensive items outside your front door
• •Burglars often look for homes with windows or doors left open or with vulnerable features that they can exploit.
• •Burglars are aware of the times when someone is expected to be away from their house such as during the school run or holidays
• •Burglars typically do not want to be seen or heard and if they feel that they would be noticed by a neighbour or passer-by then they are more likely to feel exposed and may move on to find somewhere else to burgle
• •Burglars often choose a home because they’ve spotted a specific vehicle, motorcycle or bicycle they want to steal – and the keys are more than likely to be inside the residence
• •Sheds and garages are often vulnerable as they are not that secure and contain tools which the burglar can use to assist them to gain entry to a home
• •It’s a fact that many burglars return to homes that they’ve previously burgled because the homeowner failed to upgrade security following the first burglary. They sometimes return to an area to try to burgle a nearby home that they spotted while committing a previous break in. Even more reason for you to ensure you keep your home as safe as houses

Leaving your home checklist

Whenever you go out, it’s important to leave your home secure. Getting into an ‘exit routine’ can help ensure that you don’t forget obvious, but important things, like not leaving your valuables near windows, or no lights on if it will be dark before you get home. Here’s our quick reminder on what to do just before you go out. Become a creature of habit. Try to get into the habit of following your own course of action when you lock up your home. This will ensure that you don’t forget anything.

Here’s what we recommend you do before you go out:

• •close and lock all your doors and windows, even if you’re only going out for a few minutes
• •double-lock any door
• •make sure that any valuables are out of sight
• •keep handbags away from the letterbox or cat flap and hide all keys including car keys, as a thief could hook keys or valuables through even a small opening
• •never leave car documents or ID in obvious places such as kitchens or hallways
• •in the evening, shut the curtains and leave lights on
• •if you’re out all day, then it’s advisable to use a timer device to automatically turn lights and a radio on at night
• •set your burglar alarm
• •make sure the side gate is locked
• •lock your shed or garage
• •lock your bike inside a secure shed or garage, to a robust fitting bolted to the ground or wall, like a ground anchor

Going away?

Here are five tips to help you keep your home and belongings stay safe while you’re away:

• 1.if you’re off on holiday and wish to post anything on social media, make sure your posts aren’t public and that they’re only seen by your friends
• 2.leave lights and a radio on a timer to make the property appear occupied
• 3.get a trusted neighbour to keep an eye on your property or join a Neighbourhood or resident Watch Scheme
• 4.consider asking your neighbours to close curtains after dark and to park on your drive
• 5.remember to cancel newspaper and milk deliveries