Keep burglars at bay while you're away (From This is Hampshire)

Keep burglars at bay while you're away

10:02am Saturday 6th September 2008

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Now the children are back at school, the forecast of more bad weather means some residents of Hamp-shire are leaving their homes in search of late summer sun elsewhere.

The police are reminding holidaymakers of the need to protect their empty homes so they don't come back to an unwelcome surprise - the misery of burglary.

Hampshire is a very safe place to live and we are determined to make it even safer. However, we do need the help and support of local residents to do this.

Many burglaries occur in homes that have been left empty for a week or so. Simple preventative measures can easily deter a burglar.

Many burglars are opportunists - they will see a vacant home as an invitation to go inside.

Burglary can happen at any time, and to prevent opportunist crimes we offer the following advice; Don't close your curtains in daytime - this shows the house is empty.

Use automatic timer switches to turn your lights on when it goes dark.

Cancel any milk or newspaper deliveries. Uncollected mail is a sign that you are away. Royal Mail has a service which will keep your mail for up to two months while you are away.

Hide important documents and valuable items, or perhaps consider investing in a small safe to lock them in.

An alternative is to leave smaller valuables with other family members or in a bank.

Do not put your home address on the outside of your luggage when you are travelling to your holiday destination.

Make sure that you've locked all doors and windows and, if you have a burglar alarm, ensure it is set.

If you are leaving a vehicle on your driveway, lock the keys away somewhere safe so that a burglar doesn't use your car to take away your valuables.

Can you help with any of these incidents across North West Hampshire?

A distinctive pedal cycle was stolen from a garden in Andover.

Sometime between 10.15am and 4pm on Wednesday 27 August, in broad daylight, thieves forced their way into the rear garden of the house in Poppy Close.

A Funky Chick' Chopper bike, with purple saddle, was then taken.

An Audi A4 car had its paintwork scratched whilst parked locked and secure in the town.

Overnight on 12 August, the car was left in Marchant Road when both sides of the car were scraped by a sharp implement, causing hundreds of pounds worth of damage.

The glass patio doors of a house in Caesar Close in Andover were smashed after youngsters threw stones over the garden fence.

This occurred around 5.30pm on Wednesday afternoon, 27 August.

A man and a woman snatched hundreds of pounds worth of clothing from a store at the Enham Arch Retail Park.

Around 4.50pm on Thursday 28 August, the pair walked into the shop and wandered around for a few minutes.

The female then distracted staff by claiming she had lost her child.

The man picked up an armful of clothing, and the pair then ran out of the store taking the garments and activating the security alarms.

The pair went to their car and drove off at speed.

Remember - you can call Crimestoppers free on 0800 555111, or log on to www.mostwanted-uk.org to give information completely anonymously.

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