Bogus Callers

Although not known as a major problem in Thornhill, incidences of bogus callers are on the increase nationally. You can protect yourself from them by taking a few simple steps when answering the door.

• Think before opening the door. Are you expecting someone? If you're not sure about opening it look through your spy hole, use your chain, or look out of the window to see if you recognise them.

• Ask the caller for some ID. All genuine tradesmen should carry identification, and won't get offended if asked to show it. If you're still not sure, telephone the company they claim to be working for to check.

• Beward of callers who try to distract you so that you leave the house - they may have an accomplice awaiting this distraction.

Securing Your Home

Common sense tells us to lock the doors and windows when we leave our house but there are a few other things you can do to protect it too.

• If leaving your house for a long period of time, don't draw attention to the fact that you're not in. It might be good to invest in some sensory lights that come on when it gets dark, so it looks like the house is occupied at all times. Ask a neighbour to pick up your post, draw your curtains, and generally make it look like someone is in.

• Keep all valauable items out of sight. Never leave keys where they might be seen from a letterbox - thieves have been known to use long hooked rods or magnets to retrieve these from inside the house.

• Make sure you lock your shed if you have one. Often tools found in the shed are used to break into the houses they belong to.