If you work in a profession where you need to use expensive tools then you should think carefully about how to ensure that they are secure when they are in your evicle but also when you are using them. All too often tools get stolen from people’s

driveways, open boots or even from inside their house. Criminals often watch trades people and target them when they are working. They may notice that every once in a while you leave your tools unattended to go to your van to get more materials. This is the time they are most likely to strike. If you have left your vehicle unlocked or have left the tools unattended on the floor then you will most probably find that your insurance is invalidated and will not pay out.

Make sure that you not only keep your tools in site but that you also keep them within reach. If you have to go up a ladder then try and ensure that someone is stood at the bottom with your tools or that you put them away first. If you are working on the front of someone’s house then try and keep your tools inside and not on the driveway as passing criminals can easily make a quick get away with your tools. Your tools may be vital to you being able to work so be sure to protect them at al times.

Since the UK went into lockdown, the cost of puppies and dogs shot up. Prior to Covid and lockdown, you may be expected to pay between £300 and £1000 for most breeds of puppies but more for a pedigree, but following on from the pandemic, puppies are now fetching between £1000 and £4000! This is a huge jump in price and has meant that lots of people simply could not afford to get one. As breeders have not be able to breed their dogs there has been a shortage on puppies, this teamed with the fact that more people wanted a puppy as they were at home and had nothing else to do sent prices skyrocketing.

If you have got a dog or a puppy then you may of heard also about the increase in crime around theft of dogs. This is a horrible thought for any pet owner and although you cannot completely ensure you don’t fall victim to this sort of crime, there are steps you can take to avoid it.

Only walk your dog in public places where you can easily get help if needed. Try and avoid letting people stroke your dog or pick him / her up. Secure their lead with a lockable clip and never let them off the lead when in a situation where they could be easily taken.

Security should be a very high priority for any business, regardless of whether you are securing expensive machinery, sensitive data or goods. It is important to think carefully about your building and ensure that every possible access route is secure in such a way that it would make it very hard for unwanted guests to enter.

If you are a shop owner then you will want to protect the shop front which is often a huge glass window, when the shop is closed. Steel roller shutters are one of the very best forms of security you can install if you’re a shop owner. For businesses selling high-value items in particular, shutters are an essential security feature. The only issue with these is that you may miss out on passing trade as people will not be able to see what you have for sale and may not bother to return the next day when you are open again. You can instead choose to install see through shutters which still offer a high level of security but do not conceal your shop front display.

Offices may contain expensive equipment such as computers, servers and other electronics. They may also store sensitive client data and it is imperative that this is keep secure and does not get into the hands of the wrong people. Installing bars or grilles on the windows will add that extra level of security whilst still allowing natural light into the building.

Recently there has been a lot in the news about pet security, particularly dogs. When the UK first went in to lockdown the prices of dogs and puppies shot up to an all time high. This was partly due to the increase in demand as lots of people who were furloughed or working from home decided now would be a good time to get a puppy. Also breeders where not able to meet to breed their dogs so there were less puppies available. Breeds of puppy that were previously going for a few hundred pounds suddenly sky rocketed to in excess of a thousand pounds. Some breeds were even achieving over three thousand pounds per puppy. Criminals noticed this trend and many of them decided to take advantage of the price hike.

Puppies all over the country are being stolen to sell on to make a quick buck and this has left pet owners scared and worried about the security of their pooch. Dogs have been stolen from gardens and parks when off the lead but also taken from owners who are walking them on the lead. Criminals have many different ways of taking the puppy quickly before the owner has even had time to react. Homes have been broken in to and puppies stolen if criminals have found out that they have recently had a new litter. This is a scary time for breeders and owners and many that have recently had a puppy has displayed their upset of not being able to take them out without worrying.

There are a few ways you can try and protect your dog, although no way is completely secure. Try not to leave your dog out in the garden unattended and make sure they cannot get to a fence where someone could reach over and grab them. When taking them out on the lead try and have a lockable carabiner clip on the collar or harness as this alone can sometimes act as a deterrent. Try not to walk the dog on your own especially late at night or in areas where there are not many people about. Try and keep your dog close to you and avoid people touching them as much as possible. If someone starts to stoke your puppy, you may wish to pick them up so that you have hold of them. Some owners have even bought personal alarms that they can pull should someone try to snatch their puppy from them.

CCTV systems can be a great addition to your security for your home. There are a number of different options when it comes to CCTV systems and some are more expensive than others.

When choosing your system, you first need to decide how many cameras you need. You also need to work out how many are going to be outdoor and how many are going to be indoor. Don’t make the mistake of trying to use an indoor camera to film outside through the window as this will usually just result in a bright white reflection on the footage at night time.

Ideally you want a mix of outdoor and indoor cameras to protect your home. Most CCTV cameras now come with an app that you can download. This will allow you to view live footage and also watch previous recording. The cameras are installed with a SD card that can store footage for a few weeks to a few months. Other CCTV systems have a hard drive box that can be positioned in your home and footage will be recorded to it. These often can store move footage that SD cards and mean even if the camera got stolen, you still have the footage.

If you live in a nice area that has a limited amount of crime then you may find that you become a little complacent about your security in and around your home. The problem is that often thieves start to target areas that have low rates of crime as they know people are likely to be less vigilant so therefore their job may be easier. The last thing you want to do is to give a criminal an easy time.

Ensure that everyone is the house understands the importance of home security and what needs to be done every day. For example, it may be that you have teenagers coming and going throughout the day. You need to make sure that they always lock the door and shut any windows behind them when they go. Thieves often watch houses to see when people come and go and then choose the best time to target them.

Installing a good quality CCTV system will allow you peace of mind that even when you are not there, there is a way of checking up that everything is ok and should the worse happen, you should be able to get it on camera.