Clocks back temptation for thieves

Homeowners across the South West are being warned that they are more likely to become the target of thieves as the clocks go back later this week (Sunday 25 October). As the evenings get darker earlier, regional insurance firm Cornish Mutual is reminding residents to make sure that their homes and gardens stay safe and secure this autumn and winter. Last year the company, which serves Members across Cornwall, Devon, Somerset and Dorset, dealt with more than 135 theft claims affecting homes, gardens, vehicles, machinery and farms in the region.
“There are a few simple steps that people can take to reduce the risk of crime when the clocks go back at the end of this week,” says Mitch Portman, Cornwall Business Development Manager for Cornish Mutual. He adds: “The South West is one of the safest regions to live in and hopefully some common-sense advice will help to keep properties secure from thieves. The good news is that we have seen the number of insurance claims relating to theft fall over the last few years, but people should not be complacent.” Bob Bunney, Force Crime Reduction Advisor for Devon and Cornwall Constabulary says: "Many burglars are opportunistic, so make sure that you keep valuables or possessions out of sight, whether it’s in the home, workplace or your vehicle. If you are affected by a break-in, it can cause a lot of inconvenience especially with the time spent sorting things out, so it makes sense to take preventative measures. It also makes sense to ‘mark’ your property and record it to deter criminals, which also has the advantage that if you are unfortunate enough to suffer crime or loss you have a record available to assist police and your insurance company if a claim is made.”
Cornish Mutual is also urging people to ensure that they have the right level of insurance cover for their home and contents. The company believes ordinary items can be easily overlooked when renewing policies including expensive garden furniture, tools in sheds, jewellery, electrical items or new gifts. The cost of replacing items in the home like CDs, DVDs, computer games, toys, laptops or sports equipment may be underestimated and could run into thousands

(Extracted from eaiser.com 20th October)

GARDIEN Tip: There is much advice on how to reduce garden crime at www.garden-security.co.uk and the most common way for burglars to gain entry to homes is via the garden so make it as difficult as possible.