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Daily Mail
02-07-2025
- Daily Mail
The best ways to burglar-proof your home: How prickly bushes, WD-40 and social media blackouts can help stop criminals targeting your property
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. And the tactics used by some are growing increasingly more disturbing, with gangs disguising themselves as delivery drivers - before storming their victims' homes. Now, MailOnline has pieced together tips from police, security experts and even reformed crooks on how best to 'burglar-proof' your home - from using WD-40 to prickly bushes. Tips on how to protect your home from crooks There are a few easy things that homeowners can do to deter criminals from targeting their home. 1) Use a recording of a dog barking A dog's bark will make thieves think twice about breaking in. They'll think that someone else is in the house or that the dog will attract unwanted attention to them. Some home security companies offer alarms with these recordings built in. 2) Put WD-40 on your window sills An unconventional but effective way to get rid of thieves trying to get in your home. The WD-40 will make it difficult for them to grip and use the window sill to climb into your home. 3) Install a deadlock The installation of a deadlock will make it a lot harder and time-consuming to pick a lock. In most cases, a burglar will move on when they realise they're up against a deadlock. 4) Don't post on social media Too many people freely put information about their schedules on social media, which helps burglars when it comes to figuring out when to steal from a property. Check your home insurance policy too, as some may pay out less or not at all if you've published that you're away on social media. 5) Keep on top of your gardening If the lawn is freshly mowed, then burglars will question whether a house is in fact vacant. It also gets rid of any potential hiding spots. Burglars will watch houses for a few days to see patterns of the occupants so it's a good idea to hire a gardener to come around whilst you're away. 6) Install CCTV Like with burglar alarms, these don't always need to be functioning. If a burglar is casing your home, they'll likely avoid yours because of the increased risk of getting caught. 7) Buy motion activated lights These lights will come on when anyone comes near your property, making sure that burglars can't break in without being seen. They might also be enough to attract the attention of neighbours if you are away. 8) Use prickly bushes A thorny bush planted around the edge of a garden can provide a natural defence against criminals, police say. What a reformed burglar says you can do She was once a notorious burglar, responsible for raiding dozens of luxury properties during her reign of terror. But after being jailed for 10 years following her crimewave, ex-thief Jennifer Gomez, 41, has turned her life around - and now offers advice to millions of people on TikTok. The 41-year-old Florida native broke into more than 200 homes, stealing valuables from wealthy individuals that netted her around $7million (£5.09million). The reformed crook, known as 'Jen Jen Gomez, shared the 'checklist' she used to run through before she would raid a home - and the things that kept her away from certain properties. 'Rich people always want to advertise their security,' she said. 'ADT stickers, surveillance signs, picket signs in the front yard. They want you to know. But for me, that was a good thing because what you're telling me is you have things to protect, and now I know there's an alarm system, so I'm gonna work around it.' Gomez also said she preferred homes in cul-de-sacs or ones that backed up to quiet roads, allowing for a quick escape. Dense landscaping and privacy fences offered additional cover. 'I would always try to find a home that was in a cul-de-sac so I wouldn't get lost in there and/or a home that backed up to a street,' she said. 'Not like a main street, but just maybe like a two-way street that was right outside the neighborhood because sometimes, I would have to jump the fence if I had to get out of there quickly.' How burglars get around security Crooks can come up with innovative ways to avoid traditional security. Some tech-savvy thieves are using Wi-Fi jammers to disrupt digital home security systems and doorbell cameras. Organised gangs of criminals reportedly arrive as a team - complete with a lookout - before using the illegal jamming tech to effectively disrupt the connection cameras have to the home system. Burglar Damon Keegan is among those to have been caught after using such tactics. He was jailed last year for running a hi-tech theft racket across Manchester, Cheshire and Derbyshire. Keegan, of Hyde, used radio frequency jamming gadgets to disrupt Wi-Fi and phone signals, as well as disable doorbell cameras during his late-night raids. The 31-year-old stole £350,000 worth of high-end cars before being caught by police. He was jailed for six years. Other less sophisticated methods involves criminals cutting the power to the home. These tactics have seen a growing prevalence in the United States but are thankfully relatively rare in the UK. In Gomez's case, she would use a disguise to dupe neighbours into thinking she was an innocent visitor to the home she was planning to plunder. As part of the ploy, she would dress up in medical scrubs and posed as a worker from a dog 'med spa'. If nobody answered the door, Gomez would knock on windows and call out names to make it seem like she was concerned from someone inside. If still undetected, she'd use a glasscutter to make a discrete hole in the window before quietly sneaking in and ransacking bedrooms. '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.
The Independent
14-02-2025
- The Independent
It's time to say no to the government spying on our secrets
Do you own an iPhone? Do you store your data in iCloud? If so, are you happy to hand over all your messages, contacts, documents, emails and photos to unknown elements of the British state? I imagine not. Or perhaps you are? Maybe you are of the 'nothing to hide, nothing to fear' school? You lead such a blameless life that you'd be perfectly happy for Yvette Cooper – or the police, or the spooks, or whoever – to have a little snoop around. It's the bad guys who should worry. My question arises from a remarkable story in the Washington Post a few days back, which revealed that unnamed 'security officials' in the UK had demanded that Apple create a 'back door' allowing them to access anything any Apple user in the world had uploaded into the Cloud. The story had modest follow-up, but few British outlets seemed to appreciate what a big deal this is. In this, as in many other respects, it feels as if we may have forgotten things that were self-apparent 250-odd years ago, maybe longer. You may be familiar with the phrase, 'an Englishman's home is his castle' without realising it was uttered by a judg e, Sir Edward Coke, in 1604, limiting the degree to which sheriffs could enter homes for law enforcement and tax collection. Unless you read law as an undergraduate, you may be less familiar with the 1765 case of Entick v Carrington, which was no less significant in asserting the right of the individual against the state. John Entick was a writer for the Monitor newspaper, which had unflattering things to say about the government and the king, George II. Nathan Carrington and three others employed by the state entered his house, raided all his boxes, chests, and books and walked off with every scrap of potentially incriminating paper they could find. Enter Lord Camden, the then Chief Justice, with a ringing declaration in 1765 that the state had no business behaving in this way. No such law allowing trespass by the state existed; 'If there was, it would destroy all the comforts of society; for papers are often the dearest property a man can have.' And that's where the law stood until the technology came along which made it easier to snoop on any individual about whom the state had suspicions. They could always steam open letters, but in time they could bug telephones, scoop up emails and generally help themselves to whatever they wanted. Never mind the power of CCTV linked to AI. Journalists could no longer assume they could speak confidentially to sources; nor doctors to patients; nor lawyers to clients; nor priests to parishioners; nor MPs to constituents; nor wife to husband or child to parent. It was the end of privacy. But was it? Because technology found a way to heal the thing it had destroyed: end-to-end encryption (E2EE). And for a few years we may have assumed that, after all, we could return to the late 18th century and be reasonably sure that Big Brother didn't have a completely free hand in watching us. Edward Snowden, the fugitive whistleblower who had seen at first-hand what the US National Security Agency was capable of, punctured our sense of comfort in 2013. But E2EE – in which the tech company apparently had no way of intercepting our communications – seemed to offer a way back to some form of privacy. And now we appear to have a secret request by the home secretary to Apple by the British government to have, in the words of the Washington Post, 'a blanket capability to view fully encrypted material, not merely assistance in cracking a specific account, [which] has no known precedent in major democracies.' The government is acting under the legislation passed in 2016 – the so-called Snoopers' Charter – which not only compels tech companies to let the government help themselves to whatever they demand, but to make it a criminal offence even to reveal that the government has made such a demand. Apple is reported so far to have refused to accede to the order, though the law says that, even if they appeal it, they can't delay handing over the requested material. Nor can they warn users that the company's advanced forms of security might no longer work. You choose whether you think this is Kafkaesque or Orwellian. Or both. Now, of course, bad people use E2EE. They trade drugs, plots terror acts, enable paedophiles. So, there is a trade-off. How much privacy are you prepared to sacrifice in order to get the bad guys? And is that how it works? By which I mean, is it possible to 'create a back door' for the British government which can't be used by anyone else? Vladimir Putin, for example, or some crook wanting to siphon off your savings in the middle of the night. In the immediate aftermath of the Snowden revelations, the White House's own Privacy and Civil Liberties Oversight Board (PCLOB) looked into the collection of metadata – i.e. the who, why, when and what of communications, rather than the whole shooting match (as is now apparently being demanded of Apple). They found that even this limited information 'fundamentally shifts the balance of power between the state and its citizens.' Which was roughly what Lord Camden held in 1765. The Board was extremely sceptical of the counter-arguments advanced by the state: i.e. that they needed these intrusive powers to stop the bad guys. 'We have not identified a single instance involving a threat to the United States in which the program made a concrete difference in the outcome of a counterterrorism investigation,' they wrote after receiving classified briefings. 'Moreover, we are aware of no instance in which the program directly contributed to the discovery of a previously unknown terrorist plot or the disruption of a terrorist attack.' Across the pond we are witnessing something like a coup, with the president putting fawning loyalists in charge of the machinery of intelligence and investigation. And who didn't feel a little queasy at the sight of the Big Tech overlords – including Apple's Tim Cook – surrounding him as he formally took power barely a month ago? One of them, Elon Musk, has already infiltrated the heart of the government's financial systems. Who is to say what is happening with all the data we entrust to the tech oligarchs? And if we did say, we would almost certainly end up behind bars. Around the time of Snowden, the former Appeal Court judge, Sir Stephen Sedley, wrote of his despair at 'a statutory surveillance regime shrouded in secrecy, part of a growing constitutional model which has led some of us to wonder whether the tripartite separation of powers – legislature, judiciary, executive – conventionally derived from Locke, Montesquieu and Madison still holds good.' He wasn't wrong, was he?
