Locking ladders in garden sheds 'makes things harder for thieves'

16:12:20 21st December 2010

Homeowners should lock any ladders they own in their garden shed so that they do not provide thieves with easy access to their properties.

This advice was issued by Immobilise - a free register of possession ownership details - which said that tools, such as hammers, should also be locked away as these could be used to break windows or doors to gain access to homes.

"Garages are often targets for burglars looking for tools, bikes and gardening equipment - make sure the garage is secure and your possessions are secured too in the case of bikes and tools," the firm's Christmas newsletter reads.

Titled Christmas Home Security: 10 Tips to Beat the Burglar, the newsletter also advises people not to feed extension cables for festive lights through partially open windows.

It claims that criminals know to look for this vulnerability and advised people to opt for solar or battery-operated lights or to install outdoor electrical outlets.

Earlier this month, Tayside Police urged homeowners to think about their property's security after three sheds were broken into in Dundee in the space of seven days.