SOUTH STAFFS NEWS

Helpful hints for home, garden and you this summer

Don ‘t let your shed be an easy option for thieves

• Sheds are often targeted by thieves as an easy option as they hold valuable items that can be sold on easily such as bikes, mowers, power tools and garden tools.
• Security marking your tools and equipment using a Secured By Design recognised forensic asset marking or etching kit is a highly effective and visible deterrent to thieves and an established method of reducing theft.
• Secure your shed using a Secured By Design approved hasp and staple lock that hide the fixings when closed. Use two – one fitted one-third up and one fitted one-third down the door. The hasp and staples should be coach bolted through the shed structure or secured with either security or non-return screws, sometimes referred to as clutch head screws. These are a special type of screw that once fitted can only be unscrewed with a special tool.
• Wrap a security chain around and through the handles of garden tools, lawn mowers and cycles. If possible secure the chain to the wall using a purpose made shed shackle and padlock.
• If you have battery operated garden tools, store the batteries and chargers in the house away from your tools to make them less attractive to steal and less valuable to sell on.
• Keep items out of view with netting or consider a permanent spray-on frosting to the glass. Shed windows can be fitted with a weld mesh or a grille on the inside or glass panes can be replaced with Perspex or Polycarbonate as a more secure alternative.

For further advice about any of the security tips listed above, or to find out how to buy police recognised security products, visit  www.securedbydesign.com (if you don’t want to click on the link just put the address in your  

Home security can be improved with a few simple measures too

• A home is only as secure as its weakest point of entry, which is why it is so important to have doors and windows that are as secure as possible. Doorsets – door, frame, locks, fittings and glazing – which allow direct access to your home should achieve the high security standard of the Police Preferred Specification.
• Ensure all keys, including car keys, are out of sight and away from the letterbox, as a device could be used to hook keys through the letterbox. If you have a door connecting the garage to the house make sure this has the same level of security.
• Always keep valuables like tablets and laptops out of sight from windows. Make your valuables less attractive to thieves by using a property or police recognised forensic marking solution.
• Install a burglar alarm.
• Always lock your doors and windows every time you leave the house, even when you’re just out in the garden.
• Keep ladders and tools stored away; don’t leave them outside where they could be used to break into your home.

Stay Safe this Summer

Summer days are coming which means family days out and picnics, why not pop a FREE personal alarm in with your suncream and sandwiches to add that extra layer of reassurance.

Collect your alarm from Codsall Community Hub between 9am – 5pm until Friday, August 30 between 9am and 5pm (or contact your local parish council).

#fromustoyou #peaceofmind #staysafethissummer