The Irish Insurance Federation (IIF) has offered advice to homeowners in a bid to help them to make their homes more secure against the threat of burglary.

This instruction has come on the back of research that was carried out by Eircom, looking into home security.

Homeowners looking to reduce their home insurance premiums will be interested in the findings, as people who have to make a claim because they have been the victims of a house burglary, will end up having to pay higher insurance premiums.

The research found that thieves are at their most prevalent at this time of the year in the run up to Christmas, with a large majority of house robberies occurring when people pop out of the house for only a short space of time, for example, when parents are on the school run with their children.

The IIF have therefore released some simple steps that people can follow to make their properties more secure, which include making sure that exterior window and door frames are in good condition and will not give way under force.

Windows should never be left open when people are not in the house, not even when they are nipping out for a short time. Burglars are attracted by unlocked windows, ones that have been left open and keys that have been left in 'hiding' places, like under a mat.

They also recommend fitting mortise bolts to all external doors and special locks to patio doors. Window locks should also be fitted and used regularly.

Items that might aid intruders to gain access to a property, like ladders and other tools, should always be securely locked away and a lock should be fitted to side gates to prevent thieves from gaining access to the back of a property, out of the sight of passers by.

Most burglaries will see the thieves gain entry to the property through a rear window or back doors according to the findings from the research.

Good outdoor lighting will also discourage burglars, with sensor lights and fluorescent lamps being good low cost options. Intruder alarms should also be installed, as more than 90 per cent of properties that are burgled, do not have an alarm system.



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