Multi-point Locks

It’s that time of year again when the weather warms and we start opening our doors to the sunshine. For me, that means one of my busiest times of year, especially for replacing broken door mechanisms. I’m talking about doors where you have to lift the handles before turning the key to lock the door. These are called multi-point locking mechanisms and they come on four types of door.

Multi-point lock maintenance AC Locksmiths

1. UPVC.

These are the most common doors with multi-point locking mechanisms. Over time, these doors can drop, a process that can be speeded up by heavy use, slamming or even when flung open in gusts of wind. Also, direct sunlight for long periods can warp some of these doors. When this happens, the handles can become harder to lift, or you may need to hold the handles up to turn the key. When this happens suddenly, it is obvious, but when it happens over time, we do not always realise we need the extra force to lift the handles. It is always worth going through the locking process with the door open and then again when the door is closed. The door should be nearly as easy to lock in the closed position as it is when open and you should never have to hold the handle up to turn the key. Continuing to use extra force to lift the handles will eventually lead to breakage of the internal workings of the mechanism which will in turn, entail a costly replacement.

Most UPVC doors can be adjusted before replacement parts are needed, so if your handles are stiff to lift, get your local locksmith to look at them now.

2. Aluminium.

Not many companies provide aluminium doors nowadays, and in general they work very well. They don’t drop in the way upvc doors do. But if they are not oiled, they do get clogged up with grime and dust. The problem with these doors is that when they do go wrong, all the workings are internal and difficult to source. If you do not maintain your aluminium door, you might have the shock of having to completely replace it when it fails. Some locksmiths will deal with aluminium doors – others will refer you to double glazing replacement companies.

3. Wooden doors.

Many locksmiths (myself included) believe wooden doors should not house multi-point locking mechanisms, but they do and we have to work with the problems caused. Wood holds water and these mechanisms are often found to be rusted. Wooden doors also swell in damp weather and contract when they dry, a process that can twist the mechanism itself, making usage difficult. Oil these doors regularly and call your local locksmith at the first hint of anything going wrong. If these doors seize in the locked position, damage might be necessary to the woodwork to get the door open. If you have a wooden door with a multi-point locking mechanism, especially an older one, you may want to consider a replacement door type (if feasible).

4. Composite doors.

These are doors made to look like wood, but are actually made of synthetic material. While these are well suited to multi-point locking systems, they are not without problems. Most of my issues with these arise from the keeps in the door frame. For the sake of aesthetics, there is often little room for adjustment with these doors and if they do drop, the moving of the keeps often means moving the keeps leaves holes where the keeps were originally placed. Always check with the original installer as to whether or not the door can be re-hung before calling a locksmith, unless the locksmith is willing to re-hang the door though.

As a general rule with all these doors, it is always a good idea to check your guarantees, and if they are still applicable, go to your original installers as first port of call (assuming the installers are still in business).

Some other notes to consider;

* French doors are more prone to dropping as they do not have a solid frame for the leading edge of the door.

* Doors with top and bottom shoot bolts are more prone to rust, especially if the floor keep for the bottom bolt is not kept free of water and rubbish.

* Doors that are left open should be secured with a hook where possible.

* Children should be strongly discouraged from slamming doors (I have this problem!)

* Doors should be oiled every six months.

* Landlords of holiday lets should ensure someone on their property management team is able to check these mechanisms.

Finally, a security note. If you have your back door open and a stranger calls at your front door, make sure you close and lock your back door, before opening the front. A common summer scam is for your attention to be held at the front door while a second person enters your home at the rear and makes off with anything valuable to hand.

If you have any questions regarding the above issues, please contact via any of the methods on our contacts page.

Thanks for reading!

admin May 7, 2015

Lock maintenance / Multi-point Locks /

Look after your locks!

Why you should look after your locks –

Most of us pay little attention to our locks until they go wrong, or need upgrading. Yet besides our mobile phones, they are one of our most used items. When you stop to think about how much abuse we put our locks and doors through, it’s a wonder they last as long as they do. Many of us have locks and doors that are barely holding together and the first we know about it, is when they fail completely and we are left locked out.

 A C Locksmiths

The industry recommends that we change our locks every five years, but that can be very expensive, so servicing is important to keep your locks running in tip-top condition. Here is a rundown of the various problems that can arise;

The common enemy of all locks and doors is the weather. Rain holds in wooden doors and causes rusting to metal parts. Nearer the coast, sand and grit finds its way into locks and locking mechanisms. The worst affected of all are wooden doors with multi-point locking mechanisms. I often find these with severe rust at the bottom, especially when there is a bolt that can sit in a mini pool of water. I have had more cases of this than I can remember, and most times the mechanism finally sticks fast in the locked position, leading to many problems in trying to get the door open without damage. Simple maintenance can prevent high repair costs if dealt with properly.

Night Latches (Yale Locks), are quite prone to internal wear. The big problem with these is that some of the more complex ones can be difficult to remove from the door, and even harder to re-affix. Cheaper versions of these locks are prone to spring failures and loose latch buttons are my most common reason for emergency call outs, especially with holiday homes. If you own a holiday home, maintenance is a tax recoverable cost, so you have no reason to not have your locks serviced, preferably at the beginning and end of the high season. Not only is this good practice, it reduces the chances of your customers having part of their holiday ruined having to wait for a locksmith to arrive and then carry out the work required.

Mortice locks (Chubb) have a whole host of potential problems, most caused by bad initial installation. If the lock keep is not placed correctly within the door frame, or the door swells, moving the lock position, then undue pressure required to turn the key, starts to wear the locking levers inside the lock, or if you are using cheaper copy keys, these can wear too. All of this eventually leads to a case of the lock seizing, usually in the locked position with you on the outside, desperate to get in. This often means the lock needs to be drilled to gain access, leaving unsightly holes in your door.

Another problem that occurs is when locks are replaced, a different brand is used. If the new lock is slightly too wide for the hole it is going into, the lock gets a bit squashed, which causes uneven working of the inner parts, and eventually, seizure. If the new lock is too thin for the hole, the screws that hold the lock together can loosen and the lever springs can escape through the gap as the lock separates. If there is any sign of stiff operation with these locks, they should be checked out immediately, including instances where the door must be pushed/pulled to ensure the lock operates and especially those instances where you have to have a special knack of operation. An example of this came to light for me recently when a customer told me he could only unlock his door by apply pressure up and to the left when rotating the key. We worked out this was the case with certain copy keys that had ben copied badly and that the originals worked fine.

The cylinders of multi-point locks can only be treated with a little oil squirted into the keyway, but the mechanisms themselves need much more. There are various points that can be tweaked and adjusted to ensure these things run smoothly. Remember, the handles should lift and the key should turn nearly as easily in the closed position as it does in the open position. As the problem can build over time, many people don’t realise they are using extra force to lift the handles unless they try the door open as well as closed. French doors and over sized doors are particularly prone to dropping.

Aluminium doors are a completely different problem. Nearly always the mechanism is sealed within the door itself and, at best, difficult to get into. If you have an aluminium door and are experiencing problems of any kind, you will need to look for a double glazing repair specialist who deals with metal doors. Be prepared for the possible cost of full door replacement as parts are often obsolete. I have had occasions where people have not even realised their doors are aluminium, you probably know whether your door is aluminium, but I will just give a couple of indicators just in case: Aluminium doors tend to be silver or black and often are built into a dark wood surround, whereas upvc doors are usually white or brown and do not have a wood surround. Hardly any new doors are aluminium (although there are still some manufacturers) so if the double glazed units in your home are aluminium, and they were fitted before you took possession, remember they are probably old and might need looking at.

Rim Locks are the locks that bolt on to the inside of doors and have very long keys, as those keys need to pass all the way through the door form the outside and then into the lock. The door knob is to one side of the key hole rather than above it. These locks are designed for internal use, but I do see many of them on front/back doors so I think they deserve a mention. Firstly, these are not insurance standard locks, so if your does not have another type of lock in addition to one of these, you are not covered by insurance. Besides that, these are vary basic locks, often easy to open with a standard key available to anyone else who has bought one of these locks. The internal parts of these locks are also easy to bend out of shape, but seem to break keys before they ever bend back again. It is much better to invest in a better standard of lock if you have one these.

As we have just come out of winter, now is the best time to check your locks. Lock servicing programmes are available on a tailor made basis to suit your needs. Please call to discuss your personal requirements. You can find my number on the contacts page of this web site.

Thanks for reading.

admin April 20, 2015

Looking after your locks! / saving money /

Why do you need kite marked locks?


Insurance standards do not always require that your locks be rated to British Standard kite marked (always best to check your paperwork though!) so why should we fit locks to this higher level?

A C Locksmiths Norfolk

Here is a breakdown of what the three main types of lock do when they are rated to British Standard (BS3621);-

Mortice locks (commonly known as ‘Chubb’ locks)

These are the locks that sit inside wooden doors with a long, cylindrical key that has a square drop down at the end, which turns levers inside the lock to operate. You can get two, three and five lever versions. Only five lever versions are acceptable to insurers when used as a stand alone lock. However, to get the famous kite mark that comes with BS3621, the lock must have certain features:

Firstly, an anti-pick curtain which prevents anyone manipulating the levers inside without the proper key. In addition to this, the levers have pick traps, so that anyone managing to bypass the anti-pick curtain runs the risk of getting caught by these traps and therefore rendering the lock frozen in the locked position. The lock also has an anti-drill plate which is an extra layer of hardened metal that protects the lock from attack by power tools. Standard drill bits will blunt before going through these hardened steel plates. Even with hardened drill bits and powerful drills, this is a noisy and time consuming method of attack, meaning most burglars would avoid attempting this. The bolts on these locks are longer and thicker than standard, with special materials to make sawing virtually impossible. Some have roller bars inside so that a saw blade will only be able to cut so far before it can no longer get purchase to continue cutting. The keeps (the bits that the latch and bolt go into) that sit in the door frame are also bigger and stronger, meaning that in most cases, when the door is forced, it is actually the integrity of the door and frame that fail before the lock.

Nightlatches (commonly referred to as ‘Yale’ type locks)

Standard nightlatches are arguably the easiest lock to break into. These are the locks that have a cylinder that goes through the door from the front, operated by the key and a square or rectangular mechanism on the back of the door which usually has a lever or knob  to pull the latch back, and a button or ‘snib’ which will lock the the latch in the extended or retracted position. If your nightlatch does not have a kite mark, most insurers will require you to have at least one other key operated lock on the door. The standard versions of these locks also have two major flaws. Firstly, if you rotate the key an extra turn you ‘double lock’ the door, which is fine when you leave. But it is possible to double lock the door while it is open and then slam the door shut. This action makes using the inner lever or knob useless, so you can effectively be locked in and the door will only open when some one unlocks from the outside. Also, if the snib iis accidently activated upon leaving, the key will not work when you return.

To get a kite mark, they have to be pretty special; They will have an automatic deadlocking feature which pushes the latch out further, effectively making it as strong as a bolt. It also loses the curved side of the latch so that the door cannot be attacked by a method known as ‘slipping’. The front part of the lock is reinforced and a lose disc fits over the key hole that stops the burglar being able to drill their way into the lock. There are tools that enable potential attackers to manipulate the inside part of the lock from outside the door. On these locks, the springs are stiffer and purchase is much more difficult. In my own personal experience, when faced with one of these locks, I have always searched for an alternative. You can also have a key lock on the inside of these locks. After all, a potential burglar loaded up with your belongings, wants to leave via a door. By having this locked on the inside, he must use the window he entered, risking more chance of cutting himself on broken glass, especially as his hands are now full. The other feature of these kite marked night latches is that you cannot lock yourself in or out unless you leave without the key.

Upvc door locks (called ‘Euro Cylinders’)

At the time of writing, not all insurers require the actual lock on a upvc door to be kite marked as the various hooks, rollers and bolts supposedly make the door good  security. But as been highlighted in the press over recent months, the barrel that the key goes into can be bypassed in under a minute, making all the other features of the door redundant.

The new barrels deserve special explanation because you can have a BS3621 euro cylinder, but still not have the best protection. In addition to the kite mark, these locks have a 1,2, or 3 star rating. 1 and 2 star rated products can have their level increased by having additional devices fitted to the door, or specialist handles fitted, but a couple of suppliers make a lock that are 3 stars by themselves. I only fit 3 star rated euro cylinders as they are universal to any door. These cylinders are known as ‘snap secure’ which means if a burglar tries to break them, only a small section at the front will break off, leaving them in much the same position as they were before they put all the effort in.

The brand I use require a dimple cut key (rather than a jagged edge) which throws out the usual methods of picking a lock because you have to get all the dimples in the right place and the right size. The lock also has a magnet which is activated by another magnet in the key. The magnets can be in different places in different locks. If the magnet in the lock does not line up with the magnet in the key, the lock will not open. This means the only way into this lock is with the drill. As part of my job, I have to use reinforced drill bits. I have had to get into one of these locks and with all my best equipment, and all of my professional skill, it took over an hour. No burglar is going to waste that much time. The locks are distinctive from a distance because the key goes in horizontally, rather than the normal vertical, so most burglars will turn away before even attempting to gain entry.

If you have a upvc door, or any door with a euro cylinder, and you value your possessions, you should think seriously about upgrading, as an insurance payout will not replace your lost items of sentimental value The difference in price between a standard cylinder and this top of the range one, is just £30.00, but the standard cylinder has been shown to allow a burglar into your home in less than a minute with no power tools, whereas the upgrade stops the attacker before he even tries. That has to be value for money.

If you would like more information about any of the topics discussed on this page or any other blog on this site, please feel free to use any of the methods on my contacts page.

Thanks for reading.

admin March 19, 2015

insurance standard locks / kite marked locks /

Holiday Home Locks

Holiday Home lock maintenance

I have just returned from yet another job where the multi-point locking mechanism had seized and needed replacing. The property in question was a holiday home near Sea Palling and very close to the beach. The mechanism had shoot bolts top and bottom, which had rusted and jammed. While they were in the process of rusting, various users of the property had used ever increasing force to operate the mechanism until the latest customers just couldn’t open the door.

This made the room incredibly hot as the only other method of ventilation was a small window, and there were non-opening windows which were large and in direct sunlight. It would appear that in addition to the cost of the work being done, the property owner is going to have to refund some of the cost of the clients’ holiday.

But as in 99% of these cases, the costs could have been avoided with just a little maintenance. All multi-point locking mechanisms need oiling at least on a six monthly basis. However you should also check for signs of rust. With mechanisms that have shoot bolts, water often collects in the bottom bolt hole which seeps up and makes the bottom bolt rust. This one was unusual in that the water must have been slowly dripping and pooling at the top of the door and it was the top bolt that rusted. When I took the mechanism off the door, I also found it to have sand grinding in places you wouldn’t normally see.

Were this to be a normal home, I could have shown the customer what to do and everything would have been fine, but holiday homes can be difficult. I was asked to do this job by a holiday let company who in turn use a property management company. The owner is happy for them to do what needs to be done when they see fit. But the property management company has lots of properties to get through on change-over days and therefore only has time to do the necessary cleaning, etc. The letting company do not have time to be anything more than reactionary to problems either, especially during high season.

With all this in mind, if you run a holiday home through a company, be specific about anything beyond standard requirements, including regular servicing of the locks, or if you use the property yourself, make time during your own visit to do the maintenance yourself, especially if your property is near the beach.

If you are unsure of how to proceed, contact your local locksmith. He or she should be able to set up a schedule around your bookings to service everything properly. For more information, please do not hesitate to contact us via the contacts page.

Thanks for reading!

admin February 26, 2015

Holiday Home lock maintenance /

Winter Lock Maintenance

Just recently, a well known chain of shops who specialise in things like car parts, bikes and camping equipment, etc., have been offering free winter checks for your car. As soon as my wife saw it, she told me, I should take my car in. . . .  I put it off. She told me again.. . . .  I put it off again. She told me more forcefully, especially when she knew I had passed the shop.

Eventually, I relented and took my car for its winter check. Surprise, surprise, the free winter check resulted in me having to buy stuff like oil and power steering fluid. And the thing is, I knew it would, that’s why I was putting it off. But as it turns out, my oil was really low. It might not have been long before I did some serious damage to my engine, and that would have really cost me money, not only on my vehicle, but lost business, etc. So, let’s accept that the shop in question is doing this free check because they know it will generate business, but I must say, they do it in a great way. There was no; “You must buy our products,” or “Our products are better for your car.” No, it was a simple check and I was shown what was needed. If I wanted to go elsewhere, that was fine. At the end of the day, I could have done all the checks myself, and then got the stuff I needed from anywhere, but again, I was putting it off, because I knew that as soon as I did that check, it would cost me money.

AC Locksmiths Norfolk

Look after your locks;

Now I am ashamed to admit, that I was guilty of doing the same thing I see my customers doing with locks. We can feel when they are not working right, and yet time and again, we know that if we get them looked at, or recognise there is a problem, it will cost money. But the alternative could be so much worse. When your locks get stiff (and many do this time of year), adjusting small bits now, could potentially save you the cost of a new lock.

I worked on a multi-point locking mechanism this week that was nearly seized up. The customer had taken ten minutes that morning to get the thing open. Now, I had fitted this mechanism a few years ago and know that when I fitted it I told the customer to oil it every six months. But the customer didn’t want to buy a can of oil spray just to use every now and then. And so they waited until things got difficult, incurring my labour charge rather than a few quid and a minute every six months. It could have been worse, because the unit could have failed completely and that would have cost even more! I know what it is like to have to juggle the pennies, but by catching problems early, it makes financial sense to get them sorted when the cost will be minimal.

Health checks aren’t just for people –

So, if your locks are showing any sign of being problematic, call me for a free health check. Honestly, I know I am coming to your house because the problem will likely make me a little money, but the chances are, it will save you more money in the long run, so we both win. And if you listen to what I say and think you can deal with the problem yourself, or want to get any products elsewhere, that’s fine too. 

I recently upgraded a customer’s locks as they did not meet insurance standards. Her friend wanted the old locks for some internal doors and I was happy to help, I even gave the old locks a service to keep them running longer. The point is, I am not going to insist you have new products or even have me to do the work. I will give you honest advice, and if you accept my advice I will carry out the work in the most cost effective way for you.

If you have any questions or wish to arrange a security check or lock health check, please contact me via any of the means on the contacts page.

Thanks for reading

admin February 6, 2015

Lock maintenance / saving money /

Specialist burglars

Is your property a potential target for specialist burglars?

Make your property more secure

I was saddened this week to be called out to a remote farmhouse in Norfolk that had been attacked by a particular sort of criminal. The property, over 400 yards from it’s nearest neighbour, is a second home for a couple who only use it for a couple of nights each week. The thieves could tell the property was empty and broke in, stealing antique furniture. To make matters worse, they repeated the process a few days later, going back for bigger items they had obviously checked out on the first break in.

A number of factors made this break in possible: Firstly, it was a remote property, with out buildings that shielded any lights the burglars used from the neighbours, who would have had no reason to suspect anything was going on, even if they did see any lights from a distance of four football pitches away. Secondly, the locks were inadequate; Three of the four doors were not up to BS3621 standard, and there were no window locks. The burglars gained access through a window. Although hidden, one of the door keys was in an obvious hiding place and thus it was easy for the intruders to exit the house with their ill-gotten gains and use the same key to let themselves back in on their second visit. Thirdly there was no alarm/CCTV in place or any visible deterrent.

If your property is in any way cut off from the main view of other properties, it is a potential target. If your property is unattended for periods of time, even just a few days a week,  it is an increased potential target. Holiday homes and lets are a particularly vulnerable.

So what can you do?  . . . . .  You can improve your security with simple measures; –

  • Start with the correct locks. All final exit doors should have a kite mark. UPVC multipoint doors are no good if they just have a standard locking barrel – these take less than a minute to bypass.
  • Have window locks installed. Better still if they are obvious from the outside. Burglars don’t want to smash windows – the chance of a cut leaves DNA evidence.
  • Bright sensor controlled lights are fantastic. Especially when visible to the neighbours.
  • Indoor timer controlled lights are great as well.
  • Get to know your close neighbours, if possible, and get them used to the times you are away. People notice car engines in remote areas and are more likely to look when bright lights come on.
  • Alarms and CCTV can now be made to suit most budgets. With internet linkage, they can now also message you direct with alarm and send you pictures in real time with CCTV. The burglars know this and it’s no longer the case where they can remove the recorder to erase their images. They know the pictures have been sent to you and you are contacting the police. They will steer clear of properties that are protected.
  • If you have a holiday let, you could change the locks at the end of the high season. This cost comes within your allowable expenses so there is no reason not to. Any of your guests can get a copy of your keys (unless your locks are very high spec) and then use the copies whenever they like. You might only have a TV and music centre in the property, but what if they break in when your current guests are out for the day? Despite any notice that disregards your responsibility for the safety of their belongings, how would you feel?  At least if your locks are changed yearly, your suspect list goes down.

Rural Norfolk may not have high levels of social problems that give rise to the opportunist burglars, but we do have properties that are better targets for the specialists. A security check costs nothing and could save you your prized possessions. And despite the material loss, most burglary victims say they never get over the violation of a stranger entering their home and going through their personal belongings.

Don’t be a victim. Check your locks today and if you have any doubts, call us for confidential advice.

Thanks for reading.

AC Locksmit

admin January 14, 2015

Crime prevention / Specialist burglars /

New Year – New Jeans v New Locks!

New Year – New Locks!

Christmas is over and the New Year is here. The sales are already in full swing and many credit cards are taking a full on battering! Somehow, we are even starting to think about holidays! This time of year seems to bring out the spend monster in many of us.

So if we can go all out to buy that new telly, or furniture, or computer, or washing machine, and save hundreds of pounds, why not seriously consider putting the savings to good use and making sure your home is secure? This morning I have transformed a property from one I could get into within seconds, to one that a burglar will look at from a distance and instantly look to the next property as a potential target  – and all for well under £200.

Many people live in homes that very often have old and out dated locks. But most information is online. Without stereotyping, many older people do not have/want access to the internet, so please if you know someone elderly or infirm, check their locks for them. Especially look for kite marked locks and if they don’t have them, help them look up the number of a local locksmith. So many homes that should have 5 lever mortice locks – the generally accepted insurance standard, only have three lever locks or even just two lever. These can be replaced for little over £100. And remember we are not talking about double glazed doors here which have multi-point locking systems.

On the subject of double glazed doors, those hooks, bolts rollers, etc, count for nothing if you have a standard locking barrel. These can be snapped and access gained in under a minute, so please make sure your barrel is kite marked and preferably given a three star rating as well; I had to gain access to one of these over Christmas, and the wear on my extra-tough drill bits was incredible. I can say it is possible to gain access through these locks, but the time and effort involved goes way beyond what a burglar would want to use, and as these locks are visibly different, they deter burglars from a distance. The upgrade for these high security locks is well under £100 per lock.

So, if you have waited until now to spend £200 on a pair of jeans because they used to be £300 ask yourself if you really need them? A new kite marked lock might not be as exciting, but it might just save you a future nightmare, not just on a material level. Unless something of particular family value has been stolen, most people get over the loss of replaceable belongings quite quickly. But most victims find it extremely hard to get over the invasion of their private space and almost all agree they would not have been victims if they had had the correct levels of security in place to begin with.

There is a certain feeling that goes with knowing your property is secure. I challenge you to try it. The excitement of wearing that new pair of jeans might diminish when you get your credit card statement or you desperately need cash for something else, but you will never regret upgrading your security.

Thanks for reading and Happy New Year!

admin January 3, 2015

kite marked locks / New Year - New Locks! /

Personal Security

It’s that time of year again. With a great summer and mild autumn, Christmas seems to have crept up on us and many of us are all going to be making a mad dash to get our presents bought. So, with the prospects of larger crowds, it might be a good idea to think about staying safe. For men, the advice is quite simple. When you go out, put your wallet in a pocket you don’t usually use. The slightly different feeling, will help to alert you if unwanted fingers come along looking to relieve you of your hard earned cash. With cash in mind, carry as little as possible. I know it’s easier to keep track of how much you are spending if using cash, but your kids won’t be happy on Christmas day if all you can afford is a tangerine! If you have difficulty remembering the pin to your card, don’t write it down. Put a false entry in your phone and place the pin somewhere in the false phone number. But make it look real! Ladies, make sure your handbag has a zip and preferably a covering flap that can be closed with a clasp of some kind. Make sure you close it completely with all features. If you are pushing a buggy, do not rest your hand bag on top where it is easy to snatch by someone passing. Use the bottom near the ground. It’s harder to snatch something subtly, if they have to bend down. If your bag is carried over your shoulder, wear the strap across your body and have a handbag with a thick strap. This will make it harder for the strap to be cut, no matter how sharp the knife. Do not carry information with your address anywhere you are carrying your keys. Keep the contents of your bag to the essential items you will need for the day. A bulging bag might be more of target as it suggests more to be had. On a similar level, designer bags may be more of a target as they suggest a richer owner with possibly more cash. Use a cheaper one instead if possible. So now we are safely shopping, if it is all in one go, there are inevitably going to be trips to the car to unburden the weight of all those precious new items. Please don’t leave bags of goodies on the seats. It’s an open invite for the window to be smashed and the items taken. Put everything in the boot and make sure it is covered. Don’t leave anything in the passenger area. Car windows have been smashed for such little things as a packet of cigarettes or a few CD’s and once they are in, they can pop the boot. When you are putting things in your boot, check around you to see if anyone seems to be paying you any attention. Similarly, if you are using your card either at the till or cash point machine,look back over your shoulder to make sure no-one is trying to see what numbers you are pressing or how much you are getting out. Don’t be afraid to politely but firmly ask the next person in the queue to give you more space. More often than not, the next person is just in a hurry and/or doesn’t realise they are so close. They will step back. If they don’t, go to a different place to make your transaction. It might take more time, but you will be safer. If the worst happens and your bag or keys are stolen, contact the police and start thinking about changing your locks and contact a locksmith as soon as you are home. It’s also party season, so be just as vigilant when you go out for drinks. Again, only take what you need. I have felt a finger slide across my back pocket looking for a wallet. Luckily, my wallet was in my front pocket and therefore safe. I was naïve at the time but interested and observed a group of five people moving around this particular nightclub. When they did strike it lucky, the wallet had been passed to the end of the line before the victim registered anything. Without going into details, it seemed the staff were in on the whole affair as well, so you can only rely on yourself to stay safe. If you have any questions regarding this topic, please feel free to contact using the details on my contacts page. Also if you have any tips to add, please use the comments section on this page. Thanks for reading!

admin November 30, 2014

Personal security /

Beat the burglars!

When we say ‘Beat the burglars!’ we don’t meet mean literally – however tempting it may be!  But, we hope, by reading our blog, that we can help you make your home more secure and therefore much harder for the average burglar to gain access to your property.

Yesterday I attended a job where my unfortunate customer had lost his keys. Like some people he was more used to leaving his property via the back door as this was closest to the car which was parked out back, and it was his back door key that he had lost. As with most of my jobs, I spent my journey time thinking about the various methods I would be using to get him into his house and when I arrived, I discovered that all those thoughts were for nothing, because he informed me he always leaves his front door key in the lock. It therefore took me seconds to set up one of my gadgets and go in through the letterbox to hook the key and retrieve it for use. Everyone was happy. He was back into his house, I had earned some money and there was no damage to the property.

But again I came away wandering at how vulnerable people leave their houses. I read crime reports and study statistics, but it brings it all home when I see it for real. And I see it all too often! The tools I use are readily available to all on line, so if its easy for me, its really easy for a burglar who does not care about damaging things on the way into his victim’s house. If your keys are anywhere within a few feet of your letter box, you may as well, in my opinion have a sign in huge neon letters saying; “Come and take what you want!”

Home security do’s and do not’s:

• Do not leave any key in the lock at any time.
• Do not place key racks near doors with letter boxes.
• Do not put key racks in view of windows.
• If you need to keep a key near the door, put it in something that must be opened, like a drawer.
• Do invest in a post basket on the back of your door. This adds another layer of protection.
• Do check your locks are British Standard Kite marked, even if your insurance does not specify it.
ABS kite marked lock
• When going out, keep your keys separate from any documentation that may have your address on it.
• Do invite a local locksmith to do a security check. (Make sure they don’t charge!)
• Do pass on this information to vulnerable friends and relatives. (They are often victims and although you would never have the satisfaction of knowing you have helped them thwart a burglar, you may feel bad if they were to become a victim and you could have done something to help).
• Do make use of technology. Yale have an app that tells you what burglaries have occurred within a mile of your postcode in the last month.

On a final good note, I would like to congratulate one of my customers who owns a holiday home in Little Walsingham as being the only such person I know so far who regularly changes the code on his key safe. Yes, it does mean he has to take a bit of extra time to inform his cleaners every time he does it, but he keeps things like a TV and music centre in that house for guests’ use and it’s good that only the last few guests know the code, meaning that if someone were to come back and burgle the property, the list of suspects is very short, as opposed to the norm where the code remains the same for years on end.

Thanks for reading!

To beat the burglars – please feel free to call us for a free security check – I promise no hard sell, just honest advice!
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admin October 21, 2014

Beat the burglars! /

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