Who's Watching Your Home This Summer 

Many burglaries occur when home owners are away on holidays. A house left empty for some time is a target for potential intruders.

By taking some simple precautions and giving your home a "lived in" look before you go on holiday, you can substantially reduce the risk of burglary.

South Bucks District Councillor, Anita Cranmer, Portfolio Holder for Community warns, “The risk of being burgled is increased if your home is left empty while you are on holiday. Therefore don't forget to spare a thought for the security of your property and possessions while you're away.”

“The months of July and August in 2010 both saw 28 burglary dwellings respectively. We are determined to better these figures with fewer burglaries this summer as we would like to carry on the downward trend in serious acquisitive crime that has occurred since September 2008.”

Deputy LPA Commander Bhupinder Rai adds: “There are several ways to help give you peace of mind while on holiday. First of all, it’s a good idea to get help from your neighbours. You could ask them to collect post, sweep up leaves, mow the lawn, open and close curtains, and so on. They could even occasionally park their car on your driveway. Anything to make the place looked lived in.”

“Furthermore, don’t post details of your holiday on social networking sites and refrain from putting your home address on your luggage when travelling to your holiday destination”

“And lastly….don’t forget your passport and tickets”!!

If you would like more advice on how to protect yourself from crime, telephone the Community Safety Team on 01895 837220 or the crime reduction advisers on 0845 8 505 505 or visit www.thamesvalley.police.uk (opens in a new window).