With summer in full swing, many Britons are preparing to head off on their holidays in search of even sunnier destinations.
It is estimated that approximately 45 million Brits go away on holiday between late June and the end of August. The peak in temporary migration is matched by the frequency of burglaries, which is as high as the Christmas period – 39 per cent are committed during these holiday periods.
To help extend that holiday feeling beyond the return home and prevent any nasty shocks, security provider Verisure has compiled a list of tips for holidaymakers.
Before you go on holiday:
- Cancel any regular deliveries that will sit on your doorstep and alert passers-by of your absence
- Always lock the door and never hide a key near the home
- Keep all doors and windows tightly shut; make sure that all access points to your home are properly locked when you are not in – 37 per cent of holidaymakers don’t lock doors and windows and a staggering 72 per cent don’t ensure their gates are always closed
- Never keep large amounts of cash or valuable objects in the house
- Give the impression that there is someone at home. The easiest way to do this is to have a timer switch on indoor lights – 49 per cent don’t leave lights on when they are out
Verisure also recommends staying off social networks to prevent giving away evidence of being out for some time. It’s hard to keep away from Facebook, but if you trust your friends then you can always set your posts to only be viewable by them.
The disruption caused by a burglary can dramatically affect people beyond the loss of physical belongings with shock, fear, worry, anger, a feeling of insecurity and embarrassment all likely to be experienced.
Further research has revealed that 27 per cent of Brits would confront a burglar in their home and 15 per cent would attempt to restrain an intruder. Of those who have been burgled, 24 per cent believe it was because they did not have an alarm.
In presenting this evidence, Verisure has coincidentally launched a new smart alarm, ZeroVision that enables homeowners to remotely activate a dense fog so the intruder simply cannot see, whilst the police and Verisure’s security guard service are called. Impressive stuff which is demonstrated here:
