Fear of crime is soaring so how do you protect yourself and your property? And what are the telltale signs of an easy-to-burgle house? Clements Locksmiths offers our top tips.

AN Englishman's home is his castle but what do you do when crime levels are soaring and you want to protect yourself from the burglars?

Burglary is a despicable crime. It's bad enough when a thief robs you of your valuable possessions but the emotional shock of having your property invaded can be deeply upsetting.

So what can be done to make them feel more secure?

Safe As Houses

First of all, there's some basic precautions that house owners can take to discourage burglars.

Burglary is often an opportunist crime. A burglar will select a target because it offers him the best opportunity to carry out his crime undetected and with the fewest obstacles in his way.

A building that looks unoccupied and insecure is far more likely to be targeted than a properly which is secured.

So make it as hard as possible for the burglar to get into your property; if you're away or on holiday, make the house look like you're still living in it; mark valuable possessions with an ultra-violet pen so they can be traced back to you if police recover them.

You can also take other precautions.

A third of burglars get in through a back window.

Fit window locks to all downstairs windows, and to easily accessible upstairs windows.

Fit mortice locks to internal downstairs doors

Louvre windows are particularly vulnerable because the slats can be removed easily from the frame.

Remove ladders that can be used to break into upstairs rooms.

Tell-Tale Signs

The burglar will case your property for tell-tale signs that you are away and evidence that he won't be disturbed in the course of his work.

Holiday Security

Going away on holiday presents yet more risks for home owners so it's best to play safe.

It's common-sense but don't draw attention to the house being empty. Burglars look out for milk bottles on the doorstep, newspapers and mail in the letter box, unlit houses after dark and closed windows in very hot weather.

Make it look as though your house is occupied. You could install timers which switch lights on and off automatically.

Available NOW from Clements Locksmiths

Mul-T-Lock's range of 'Break Secure' cylinders are specifically designed to combat the growing threat of unauthorised entry whereby the criminals 'snap' the Euro-Profile style cylinder commonly fitted to most Upvc and Patio doors.

To combat this growing problem a major lock manufacturer has designed cylinders that although they will still snap, they will snap in a predetermined position leaving intact a portion of the cylinder that will still provide security and still require key operation to open, thus preventing the easy manipulating of the locking system.