[jambutty]

I live in a ground floor flat so leaving a window open at night just ain’t an option. But during slightly hot days like we had recently I have the windows open until seconds before I get into bed. The front and only door gets closed and locked at around 8:00pm or when it starts to get dark whichever comes first.

It is a well known statistical fact (the police told me after the first time that I was burgled) that a burgled house is most likely to be turned over again within the following week. They were correct in my case. The thieves came back three nights later and took the replacement rental telly. Imagine the trouble I had in convincing the rental people of the theft and I hadn’t sold it, especially as at the time I was living on the Roman Road Estate. They also dropped me as a customer. Hardly surprising really!

If you have an old wooden back door you need a solid bolt near the top and the bottom. If you only planning to have one bolt then make it near the bottom. Very few burglars (if any) are capable of kicking the top half of a door in.

Don’t leave the key in the lock. If you must leave a key in a lock to prevent someone using a key from the outside make it a key that doesn’t fit the lock and leave it part turned.

Don’t rely on your Yale type lock for the front door when you go to sleep. Use the Mortise lock as well. If you don’t a burglar has an easy way out.

Sleep well! I do!