Follow the advice below to help keep your home safe while you are on holiday.

• Fit good quality kite marked British Standard locks or bolts to all outside doors. Lock all windows and doors and remove the keys to a safe place when you leave the house.
• If you have an intruder alarm, make sure it’s set. If you don’t have one consider having an approved alarm system installed. Ensure keyholders are updated and contactable.
• Make use of timer plugs with lamps and radios to make your home seem occupied. Arrange for a relative, trusted friend or neighbour to check your home, collect post, open and close curtains.
• Don’t leave valuable items such as laptops and jewellery in view of windows. Lock valuable items in a ground anchored safe or you could consider leaving important documents and valuable items with other family members whilst away.
• Make sure all access points are secured such as gates and activate any external security lighting that you may have.
• Ensure gardening equipment, tools and ladders are put away and securely stored. Don’t leave them lying around in your garden as they could aid offenders.
• Ensure your garden is well maintained, grass cut etc. prior to going on holiday and during holiday if away for a longer period.
• Ensure that sheds and outbuildings are locked and secured. Use good quality locks on garages and sheds (ensure screws on latches and hinges cannot be undone easily from the outside) and where possible ensure that they are alarmed.
• Mark your valuables such as jewellery and electronic equipment including your gardening equipment, tools and other valuables stored in sheds and garages with your postcode. Visibly marking items with your postcode offers more of a deterrent, and ensure that you use window stickers to show items are marked and identifiable.
• Photograph and keep detailed records of expensive items.
• Cancel any regular deliveries and only tell people who need to know you’re going away.
• Don’t post or comment on social media about going or being on holiday. You wouldn’t display a sign in your window advertising that you’re going on holiday, so don’t advertise it online.
• Make sure that you have up-to-date contents and buildings insurance.
• Don’t have your home address showing on your luggage for the outward journey. Put this only on the inside of your cases.
• Consider joining or starting a Neighbourhood Watch / Rural Watch – further information at www.neighbourhoodwatchscotland.co.uk
• Cars can be a target. Secure cars in a locked garage or if in driveway consider additional visible steering lock (Thatcham tested / approved ) If you have a keyless car, secure keys as far away as possible from accessible doors/ windows and keep in a signal blocking wallet.

NWS Team