Member Article

Brits need to do more to protect their homes from burglars

More than half of the UK population are very concerned about their houses being burgled, but Brits are only taking very basic measures to protect their properties, according to new research.

53% of Brits said that they were worried about their homes being broken into, with 47% of these saying it is a regular concern and 6% admitting that they worry about it all of the time.

However, when asked what forms of home security they have in place, the majority of home owners admit they only use basic security measures such as locks (87%) and security lights (52%).

Burglar alarms are the third most common form of home security (40%) but when it comes to more advanced technology such as CCTV only 16% have this installed.

The study of 1,000 people, conducted by IronmongeryDirect, was undertaken to find out Brits’ views on home security and investigate how secure their homes really are. It found that over a third of people (34%) have had their home broken into in the past five years, with 9% having been a victim more than once. And nearly half (43%) knew someone else in their neighbourhood who had been burgled.

London has come out as the top spot for burglary as 56% of people living in this area have had their home broken into.

Despite these figures, the study found that two-thirds of the population (62%) actually felt safe and secure in their homes, with those living in the North West claiming to feel the safest (93%). The area where people felt least safe was the West Midlands, with just over a quarter of people admitting they felt safe in their homes.

Despite the research indicating a somewhat lax approach to home security, perhaps because many people feel safe in their homes, the majority of homeowners (68%) said they would consider installing smart security products such as Smartphone alarms and CCTV. And 62% would be willing to spend more than £100 on home security products.

Wayne Lysaght-Mason, managing director at IronmongeryDirect, said: “Everyone has the right to feel safe in their own home, and it’s saddening to hear that so many people are concerned about the threat of burglary.

“To ensure a home is secure, it’s really important that property owners take measures to properly protect it, and invest in a range of quality security products to prevent the risk of burglary. There are a number of security solutions that can provide high levels of security and give property owners peace of mind. There is certainly demand from our customers for high security products such as wireless alarm kits that are simple to install, door viewers which make it easier to identify visitors, secure gates and fencing to protect the grounds of the property, windows bars, and CCTV camera systems.”

For more information visit www.IronmongeryDirect.co.uk/home-security

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Ursula Hutchinson .