Bude man arrested on suspicion of murder over death of woman, 93
'Very sad case'
Det Insp Rob Smith, senior investigating officer, said: "We are currently carrying out enquiries to establish what happened in this very sad case."A cordon has been set up to allow for a thorough investigation of the scene to take place."It is believed that the man and the woman were known to each other."The community should be reassured that this is being treated as an isolated incident and at this time we are not seeking anyone else in connection to the death."There will be a heightened police presence in the area over the coming days as enquiries are ongoing, and I would encourage anyone, if you have any concerns, to contact officers from the local neighbourhood policing team."
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English legal expert Sir Edward Coke once declared a 'man's home is his castle'. However, to a thief, it's more of a treasure chest waiting to be plundered. England and Wales's burglary scourge sees crooks raiding properties once every two minutes, with some 253,912 places broken into in the past year. Chillingly, there has seemingly been a rise in the number of masked gangs and tech-savvy crime groups ransacking homes, snatching luxury cars and jewellery. Many of the thieves are caught on doorbell camera as they loot people's properties - with some brazen burglars carrying out heists in the middle of the day. Callous crooks even r ansacked the home of a tragic toddler Bronson Battersby, two, and his father, Kenneth, 24 hours after the pair were tragically found dead inside. Kenneth died after a 'cardiac event' with helpless Bronson dying of dehydration after. Thieves prized open the window of the Lincolnshire house before shamelessly snatching 60-year-old Kenneth's wallet. 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'Your dog's not gonna scare me,' she added. 'If I know there's a dog, I always brought some kind of food. 'I would bring steak, I would bring chicken, I'd have a sandwich in the car. If there's a dog that does look a little scary, I'm giving it food, and I promise he's fine.' What advice do police give to protect your home? Unsurprisingly, police forces have a plethora of guidance on what homeowners can do to shore up their security and defend their properties from burglars. Here is a selection of just a few hints and tips offered by police forces nationwide: Get yourself a prickly bush: Police say thorny or prickly plants can act as a decent deterrent against would-be burglars trying to break into your home. Plant them along boundaries and fence lines to act as natural barriers, officers say. Lubricant like WD-40 can also be sprayed on windowsills to make it trickier for thieves to break in (file image) Keep your home visible: You'd think that it would be best to make a property less visible from the street, and to keep it hidden from prying eyes behind overgrown bushes, trees, high fences or walls. However, in reality, officers say that all this serves to do is make it easier for a criminal to get close to a home unnoticed, and provide somewhere to hide while raiding it. Use low fencing, around 3ft high, at the front of the home and taller fencing at the rear and sides Use gravel on driveways or under windows: It sounds simple, but officers say using gravel on driveways and under windows can help deter crooks seeking to remain stealthy as they break in. By gravelling driveways or paths, people can hear visitors as they approach - which is something a burglar is keen to avoid. Keep keys out of windows and doors Some might say the advice appears obvious, but leaving keys in window locks and doors can provide criminals a prime opportunity to access your home. Windows left open are one of the most common causes of burglary. Window opening restrictors allow homeowners to ventilate their home while preventing the window from being opened wide enough for someone to climb through. Similarly sash stops can be fitted to limit the opening of sash windows. What else have homeowners done to protect their homes? A shrewd victim, targeted by a serial burglar took efforts to catch him themselves - by setting up a Home Alone-style booby trap to snare the crook. Comical footage from the homeowner's CCTV shows 56-year-old Paul Howell tip-toeing his way through the back garden of a Northumberland house after dark in in November last year. Creeping around the side entrance of the Blyth home, he encountered a 'trap' laid by the property owner. Tripping over a thin string of fishing wire, Howell knocked over a bucket of water which not only splashed his feet but also set off the garden's sensor light. The whole fiasco was caught on CCTV, with the footage being used to help convict Howell - who was jailed three years and seven months in February after admitting to attempted burglary and stealing hundreds of pounds of items from another home. What do the other experts say about keeping your home safe? Home security experts have given a host of tips - and where to buy affordable home protection kit to deter any would-be criminal from breaking in. Roland Ellison, editor of home renovation website The Eco Experts, said: The first tip we recommend for home security is getting a simple outdoor motion sensor light, especially since daylight hours will become shorter during winter. Any motion at night will set the light off, deterring any intruders. The light might also alert you to any unwanted visitors outside when you are inside your home. To take it a step further in protecting your home, we recommend purchasing a visible home security system. This can include a home alarm system and security cameras for the exterior of your house. Alarm systems range in price from around £500 to £1,000-plus depending on the type, how many sensors you install, and if the system is monitored or unmonitored. If you invest in a monitored system, you'll make a monthly payment to a company, which will receive an alert when your alarm goes off. The company will then call the police or someone else of your choosing. An unmonitored system will rely on you calling the police yourself. If getting an all-in-one home security solution is too expensive, as it may be for some people, you can buy singular security cameras or a Ring-style doorbell. These will cost around £30 to £200 per camera. You could buy one camera for the front of your house. If your cars are parked on a driveway, you can get another camera for the driveway. This might be slightly trickier if your cars were parked on the street, as pointing a camera outside the boundary of your home will require you to comply with GDPR and Data Protection Act laws. Anyone without a driveway could get a simple steering lock as they can be relatively low cost and are visible from outside the car. As you mentioned two expensive vehicles, these cars might have more sophisticated keys that allow you to enter the car just from standing near it with the key. If you have a keyless car, it is essential to make sure your keys are far away from your car when being stored at home, otherwise someone may be able to open it. Yair Daren, managing director of Security Risk Specialists Ltd, said: As the proverb goes, prevention is better than cure, and this is the case with home security. Burglars prefer not to encounter people and will use a variety of ways to avoid being noticed. They don't want to be seen or heard by a neighbour or passerby because they can then potentially be exposed. I have five tips for home owners looking to reduce risk of burglary. First, keep the front visible. One might think that security would be improved by making a property less visible from the street, keeping it hidden from prying eyes behind overgrown bushes, trees, high fences or walls. However in reality, all that serves to do is make it easier for a burglar to get closer to a home unnoticed, and provide somewhere for them to hide while carrying out a burglary or theft. Lower fences or hedges at the front of the house around one metre high are preferable to high fences, as they allow for a clear view over the top and don't provide cover for anyone wishing to hide. At the rear and sides, taller fencing is recommended to prevent easy access. Gravel driveways and paths can make sure anyone approaching will be heard before they reach the house itself. Next, consider an accredited burglar alarm system with audible alarm boxes mounted high at the front and rear of your home. Two visible audible alarm boxes are better than one. Mount them at the front and rear of your home high up to resist tampering and to indicate the house is alarmed, which can act as a deterrent. Third, using well-defined boundaries as a basis CCTV can be a valuable tool. However, it doesn't prevent a crime from being committed and it does have its limitations. CCTV linked to a smartphone will alert you to someone crossing your boundary and can be connected to a tannoy system which can allow you to make a security announcement and ward off trespassers. CCTV is no substitute for good quality physical security such as secure doors and windows, so always make sure that you don't remove your window restrictors even on hot days. An analysis of crime data showed that both violent and property crime were lower in areas with improved street lighting compared to areas without. This is good news for those who benefit from a street lamp right outside their house, but for the rest of us installing flood lighting around the property, including movement triggered lighting, can form another layer of deterrence. Finally, don't be flashy if you can help it. In the context of security, a Skoda is better than a Land Rover. Vehicle theft from driveways has become an epidemic in many parts of Britain. If you decide to purchase an expensive vehicle it is better to have it parked inside a closed garage rather than somewhere visible. Jewellery, watches, cash or other high-value items should be stored in a graded safe, ideally well hidden and insured, or alternatively, they can be stored in a commercial safety deposit box. Rebecca Edwards, managing director home security reviews website SafeWise, said: Many burglars will skip a home protected by a security system. These systems typically include door and window sensors, motion detectors, a siren, and security cameras. I recommend adding 24/7 professional monitoring so you have a direct line to help if something happens. This is especially important if you're away from home - whether on holiday or out for dinner, it means someone is always watching your property. Expect to pay between £300 and £1,500 for the equipment, depending on the complexity and number of devices, plus a monthly monitoring fee ranging from £10 to £50. Rebecca Edwards is managing director of SafeWise If you want to improve security without a full alarm system, a security camera is your best bet—especially for monitoring your driveway and any entrances to your home. Cameras with night vision, motion detection, and two-way audio can deter potential burglars and provide valuable evidence in case of an incident. I especially like cameras that come with deterrent features like flashing lights, whistles, or pre-recorded messages to shoo crooks away. A good quality camera starts at around £50, but more advanced systems with multiple cameras and features can cost upwards of £500. A driveway alarm alerts you when someone approaches and can help you protect your cars. If you want a more extreme deterrent, you can install retractable bollards to physically block access to your driveway when you're not at home, making it much harder for thieves to drive away with your cars.
