North Yorkshire Police urges residents to help keep opportunist burglars at bay this summer

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Reports of sneak-in burglaries always increase during the warmer months. Sadly, this is often down to homeowners taking unnecessary risks by leaving doors, windows and outbuildings insecure.

Detective Chief Inspector Carol Kirk, North Yorkshire Police’s burglary lead, said: “It only takes a few minutes of your time to lock doors, close windows and secure sheds and garages.

“Yet it only takes a matter of seconds for an opportunistic burglar to sneak into your property and take whatever they can lay their hands on.

“That’s why it’s so important to remember to lock up and hide your valuables from view – even if you’re just washing the car or cutting the grass at the time.“ Keep burglars out of your property

In addition to the locking up properly, here’s some additional advice to prevent burglars from targeting your property.

Keep it 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.

In reality, all that this serves to do is make it easier for a burglar to get close to a home unnoticed and provide somewhere to hide while carrying out a burglary or theft from the property.

Remember

• Lower fences at the front 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

• Trellises, thorny plants, or a suitable anti-climb topping such as plastic spikes make it difficult for anyone climbing over a fence or gate

• Planting prickly or barbed shrubbery along boundaries and fence lines acts as an effective natural barrier

• Gravel driveways and paths will make sure you hear anyone approach

Think like a thief

Look at your shed and consider how you would break in. It’s worth having a good padlock on the door with no exposed screws. Pay attention to hinges, as these are sometimes easily removable. If you have windows, then these could be vulnerable unless they’re secured with wire mesh or grills. And keep it locked.

If you see a burglary in progress or feel threatened, always dial 999 for an emergency response.

These days most homeowners suffer from a lack of storage space. So many precious items that need to be kept – but where to store it all? That’s where Yorkshire Loft Ladders come in.

These days most homeowners suffer from a lack of storage space. So many precious items that need to be kept – but where to store it all? That’s where Yorkshire Loft Ladders come in.

The company, based locally, offers homeowners the opportunity to maximise their storage space with a loft ladder, 50 sq ft of boarding and a light all fully fitted in less than a day from just £277 + VAT. But it’s not just the affordability of the package the company offers that makes Yorkshire Loft Ladders stand out as manager Warren Ingleson explains:

The company, based locally, offers homeowners the opportunity to maximise their storage space with a loft ladder, 50 sq ft of boarding and a light all fully fitted in less than a day from just £277 + VAT. But it’s not just the affordability of the package the company offers that makes Yorkshire Loft Ladders stand out as manager Warren Ingleson explains:

‘Our watchwords are Quality,

‘Our watchwords are Quality,

Integrity and Value. Quality in the materials that we use for all our installations and the fact that all our loft packages are fitted by time served tradesmen so our customers are assured of the best job. Integrity in that we will turn up at the time we say and make sure the house is spotless when we leave, and Value in that we offer our services at a price people can afford. Our business relies on referrals and we got a huge amount of our calls from people who have been referred to us by our existing customers - that simply wouldn’t happen if we didn’t adhere to our overriding principles.

Integrity and Value. Quality in the materials that we use for all our installations and the fact that all our loft packages are fitted by time served tradesmen so our customers are assured of the best job. Integrity in that we will turn up at the time we say and make sure the house is spotless when we leave, and Value in that we offer our services at a price people can afford. Our business relies on referrals and we got a huge amount of our calls from people who have been referred to us by our existing customers - that simply wouldn’t happen if we didn’t adhere to our overriding principles.

At the end of the day the old adage that happy customers

At the end of the day the old adage that happy customers lead to more happy customers is true and we work hard to make that happen for every installation we carry out!’ So, if you want to make use of your loft space, however big or lead to more happy customers is true and we work hard to make that happen for every installation we carry out!’ So, if you want to make use of your loft space, however big or small, call Warren on 0800 612 8359 and he’ll be happy to pop round and give you a no obligation quote so you too can make use of your loft! small, call Warren on 0800 612 8359 and he’ll be happy to pop round and give you a no obligation quote so you too can make use of your loft!

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