General advice to secure your home and prevent access.
- Low front boundary; keep hedges and walls at the front of your house low (under one metre) so burglars have nowhere to hide.
- 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. Similar to Gatemate® locks.
- 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 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 your shed; always keep your shed locked and secured, and make sure it is anchored down to prevent it from being lifted in order to gain access. Often sheds contain valuables such as power tools and bicycles.
- Never leave tools lying around; they can be used as a way of breaking into your home. Ensure ladders are locked up or locked away.
- Early notification of intruder from external cameras; many external cameras have a notification setting so you know when someone has entered your perimeter.
For more information please visit the Surrey Police website.