Rise in "sneak in" thefts in Ryedale

"Sneak in" thefts from houses in Ryedale have risen 12% since last April. It's prompted North Yorkshire police to remind people to review home security.

More than a third of all burglaries are crimes of opportunity, where the thieves enters through unlocked doors or windows.

Scarborough is another area where there has been an increase but overall the rest of North Yorkshire has seen a fall in this type of theft,.

Securing your home Top Tips from North Yorkshire Police

If you want to be certain your home is as safe as you can make it, here are ten top tips you should follow:

one
Fit strong locks to external doors and windows, and make sure they are locked at all times.

two
Always remove all keys from inside locks, and keep them out of sight and in a safe place.

three
Fit sturdy deadlocks (British Standard BS3621) to all doors.

four
Make sure your doors and frames are strong and in good condition - wood doors should be at least 44mm thick.

five
Mark your property - having it marked helps police verify it's been stolen.

six
Fit a door chain or bar and door viewer (spy-hole), and use them.

seven
Never leave a spare key in a convenient hiding place such as under the doormat, in a flowerpot or behind a loose brick - thieves know to look there first.

eight
When you are out in the evening, leave your lights on and shut the curtains.

nine
Install outside security lighting; if other people can see your property a burglar may think twice.

ten
Keep your tools and ladders securely locked up - a burglar could use them to get into your house.

Safety in your home

Make sure your new security measures (such as window locks) don't block your escape route - and that you can get out of the house as quickly as possible. Fit a smoke alarm and test it regularly. Make sure you have an escape plan and that everyone in your household knows it.

Securing your outbuildings

A few simple ideas that don't cost the earth for outbuildings are as follows:

• If you have a door lock or window lock on your outbuilding, use it.
• If you don't have a lock look at what type you could fit. In some cases a simple padlock and hasp correctly fitted to a door can deter the opportunist thief. Use a close coupled padlock for increased security.
• Fit window locks or a grill behind the garage window.
• Garage doors should again be lockable or secured by padlocks. Where integral doors are used for entry from the garage into the house a simple method of security for up and over doors is to drill a hole in the top channel above the wheels and insert a padlock into the hole. This prevents the wheel moving along above the padlock so keeping the door closed during forced entry. Even better, drill a hole in each channel and use two padlocks. If there is no internal door from the garage to the house then the up and over door can be secured by an outer bracket and floor eyelet bolted to the bottom of the door and secured by a padlock into the floor eyelet.
• Consider external lighting, either dusk 'to dawn lighting or PIR lighting dependant on the location of the outbuilding.
• Consider marking your valuable items with your postcode in a prominent position or by forensic marking of which there are several inexpensive choices available.
• Consider placing smaller items in a secure cabinet within your shed or garage .
• Consider a shed alarm, an inexpensive item easily fitted.
• Do not leave any car or house keys in any shed or other outbuilding.

Home Security Self Assessment:

Residents are urged to go to the North Yorkshire Police website and following the Home Security Self Assessment: www.northyorkshire.police.uk/homesecurityassessment