It is important to lock your door when in the garden

Though it is still cold, dark and extremely wet throughout much of the UK, believe it or not Spring is almost here. In some places it has already arrived, and warmer spells are greeting us more frequently. It is a wonderful trait the British display that the first time the nation sees the sun on a weekend each year we dust off our shorts and get out the barbeque. It can often seem that the parks and beaches in this country are much busier on the first lukewarm day in March than they are in the height of summer; but all in all we can agree that the arrival of Spring can mean only one thing: garden weather.

The aforementioned barbeques, ball games and the first cutting of the grass in the new year are all givens, but in the frenzy that occurs at the beginning of what we hope is a warm spell we as a nation can often forget one thing; the importance of locking our doors when we are not in the house.

In one respect this can seem quite odd; we always keep a close eye on our children when they are playing outside; we even take out the sun tan cream in case the full force of the sun is unleashed from behind the clouds at some point. Yet we can often forget this other important aspect of safety for our families, which we would never do in the Winter. At the same time, we can all agree that it is a shame we have to lock up our home when we are still on our own properties; sadly, we do.

South Norfolk police have warned residents to be extra vigilant and ensure that they are keeping their homes secure, even if they are only outside. Sergeant Robin Windsor Waite told the Norwich Evening News that there is a trend for criminals to take advantage of exterior doors that are unlocked when the summer comes around.

The security of your home is obviously paramount all year round, but it is a good idea to ensure everything is properly locked when it is obvious to passers-by that you are not actually in your house. With the recent spate of lock snapping burglaries around the country as well, you should make sure that your home is able to deter criminals rather than giving them easy entry and access to your valuables.