The seventh tip of our ‘The 12 Security Tips of
Christmas’...
“Store all sets of keys away
from the front door! Whatever time of year it is, it’s never a good idea to
leave your keys anywhere near your front door. A letterbox cage/guard is also
recommended as burglars will often use the letterbox to retrieve keys stored
inside the house.”
When thinking about the
security of your home, it is always a good idea to think like a burglar! Look
for any potential security risks that may be used to the advantage of a burglar
i.e. spare keys under the mat. In a recent survey by Keytek™ it was found that
over 20% of Britons were still leaving spare keys hidden in an unsecure
location such as under a plant pot in the garden. Read more about the survey
results in a previous blog post here http://blog.keytek.co.uk/2013/09/over-20-of-britons-are-still-leaving.html
Many will advise against this
including the charity Age UK who advise on their website not to leave spare keys in “obvious places such as
under a flower pot or doormat or hanging inside the letterbox”. For a
relatively small cost it is advisable to have a Key Safe fitted in a hidden
location on the outside of your home by a 24 hour locksmith. A Key Safe is a secure box where you can
safely and securely store your keys without having to hide them or to rely on a
neighbour or family member to look after them.
It is also advised that you don’t store any keys or ID
documents near to a door or window that is accessible externally to minimise
the risk of what is sometimes referred to as ‘fishing’. Insurance provider
Aviva
explains that “thieves will use props such as coat hangers and fishing rods to
hook keys”. Key ‘fishing’ can be
minimised not only by storing your keys away from any doors or windows but also
by having a letterbox cage/guard fitted to your door by a locksmith. Letterbox
brushes can be fitted to avoid a burglar seeing where your keys are stored.
