Islanders living across the Isle of Wight – but particularly rural areas – are being warned to remain vigilant now that many of us will be spending more and more time outdoors as we enter the summer months.
Leaving the kitchen or living room window open, or even the back door, to allow for some fresh air into the house while you pop out for a short period might for seem tempting, but this could provide an opportunity for someone to take advantage and commit a crime.
Hampshire Constabulary is offering up some friendly reminders around personal/household security.
Top tips to keep your property safe this summer:
- Ensure that doors and windows at the front of your home are secure if you are enjoying time in the garden.
- Before going out, or turning in for the night, do not forget to check all doors and windows. Someone may have closed it, but did they lock it?
- Don’t forget that with a PVCu multi-locking door you may have lifted the handle but until you turn the key (or on some doors a thumb turn on the inside) you have not locked all of the locking bolts in place.
- Where possible don’t keep handbags, tablets, laptops or valuables near to or within sight of external doors and windows
- Put all car and house keys out of sight and not in reach of windows and letterboxes. It does not take much for the keys to be hooked through the letterbox.
- Make sure tools, ladders and spades are securely locked away so they cannot be used to break into your home. Don’t forget to mark and register them at www.immobilise.com
- Keep side gates locked at all times. Open gates mean burglars can easily access your home without being seen by passers-by or neighbours.
- Do not advertise that you are away from home on social media- this could tell a burglar that you are not home.
Anyone wishing to report any suspicious activity or a crime can do so via our online reporting tool on the Hampshire Constabulary website or by calling 101. If a crime is in progress, the suspects are at the scene, or a person is in immediate danger, then dial 999.
Gone are the days on the island where doors and windows can be left open while residents ‘pop out’ for a short time. Security must be in the forefront of every residents mind now.
Too many thieving scum bags about now.
And sadly many many more to follow.
Britain is a magnet for a free home and have every child you produce all treated, educated and paid for, forever, the wrong sort are encouraged here as well as decent people.
People who live a very different life to what Islanders once enjoyed is ruined for all time by those leaving towns they no longer feel at home in from the mainland thus provides a lucrative income for our council whom they ‘take on’ for payment, and the Island people and way of life which was known to be different in a nice way is soon to be lost, forever.
It was great whilst it lasted, unchecked numbers have ruined it
You daft racist
I do share your sentiments. When we moved here about 25 years ago, people generally did’nt even lock their cars or front doors when out and about – crime was that rare.
Now we see burglary, drugs running and even murder. It’s a failure of law enforcement, especially Policing.
Especially since the ‘County Lines’ drugs gangs have opened up here, crime has really taken off.
You are a police officer so you’re blaming yourself yeah
The reason this island is such a mess is because of the characters in charge of this island and the people are in charge of this island are the most bigoted, blinded, snobs who looked down on the real people just like our head government who have no empathy understanding for the people struggling the real Island people not these super rich second home owners you have no empathy or understanding for the needs of the real islanders. When they have to send families away to the mainland to get housed because they have spent no money on that sector 4 years and years and kicked the real people deeper into the gutter. They do seem to spend and a hell of a lot of money on trying to bring these rich second home owners to the island so they can have a lovely summer for a couple of months and have us real people in a rubbish little jobs 4 pennies slave away for them. And when winter comes and there’s no jobs anymore they go back to their perfect little lives and knock give a crap for the real people
That corner is on the way into shorwell coming from military road direction. Correct?