The former detective also fronts the award-winning series Scam Interceptors and is a regular presenter for Morning Live
There is often a spike at this time of year, the expert said(Image: BBC Morning Live)
An expert has warning that properties could face a greater danger now than at other times of the year. Former detective and Crimewatch Live presenter, Rav Wilding, warned BBC Morning Live viewers to listen carefully to help protect themselves, their pets, and their home.
Speaking on the BBC show today, October 1, the former Metropolitan police officer said that more burglaries are happening in autumn and winter “largely due to the darkness, especially when the clocks change. We are going to have more hours of darkness than we do light.”
In the UK, the clocks go back one hour on Sunday, October 25 at 2am. This means it’s the end of British Summer Time (BST) and the return of Greenwich Mean Time (GMT). The ex-detective explained: “The dark is easy for a burglar to hide, not be detected, not to be seen – to go out, do what they want and get out. So that’s largely the reason and it’s only going to get worse.”
Highlighting that we will see the dark from as early as 4pm over the next coming months, Wilding said BBC Morning Live spoke to the Hertfordshire Police Force, who said that they’ve noticed a spike during autumn for burglaries – and this is the same for multiple police forces across the country.
Take some basic steps to increase security
BBC presenters Gethin Jones and Helen Skelton also urged people to take a few simple precautions – including measures they may never have considered – with Jones stressing it wasn’t about trying to scare anyone.
Here is what Rav Wilding suggests…
1 Sash jammer
Sash jammers are commonly used as additional security to secure uPVC doors or windows and are available as locking and non-locking options. A Sash jammer – which you can just screw on to your door or frame – will prevent a door or window from opening should the lock be bypassed by a thief.
Wilding explains that this is a “massive layer of protection and it substantially increases the chance” of your door or window not being compromised if somebody is trying to kick it in or force it open.
You can pick them up online for around a fiver, and even multi-packs can cost about the same, he said.
2 Timers
Another suggestion is timers to make it look like you’re in the house when you’re actually away – be it on holiday or at work. You can buy plug-in timers for around £10 that fit into a socket and turn devices on while you’re away: for example, a radio or a lamp.
Wilding revealed that an expert on the BBC show once put a speaker on a timer and forgot to switch it off, so it played all night, and a neighbour thought there was a party. So avoid doing this, he joked.
3 Wilding’s ‘favourite thing’
Wilding said: “This is one of my favourite things we have in home security – and it’s a TV light.”
He explains that it’s really small and costs pennies to run. The idea is that from outside the house, it looks like a TV is on, giving the impression someone is home watching television by flickering the way a TV would.
Costing around £17, he added: “I think I really do a great job of making a home look occupied. And ultimately that’s what you wanna do – you want to make it look like someone is in your home.”
Other suggestions worth thinking about include:
- Doorbell cameras – this is a “visible deterrent” that can record footage and is “good for evidential purposes”. It can even start recording before they reach your home, and they don’t have to press the doorbell to activate it in many cases
- CCTV – You don’t have to spend a lot on this. There are so many options from wired to battery and solar options. Wilding warned: “You don’t want too much of your neighbours’ private business being captured – just be reasonable about that and make sure you are considerate of them.”
- UV marker pens – UV marker pens let you mark your belongings with details like your address, postcode or another form of ID, so if they’re stolen and later recovered, you can prove they’re yours. It won’t prevent the theft, but it can increase the chances of getting your property back.
- Motion detection lights – Rather than leaving the garden pitch-black, installing a light can illuminate anyone who shouldn’t be there – and if it switches on, it could be enough to scare them off.
- Secure your shed – Make sure your shed is secured too, as tools stored inside could be used to help burglars break into your home.
Immobilise.com
Directing people to immobilise.com, the BBC presenter said that Immobilise helps police identify the owners of recovered property thousands of times every day.
The website explains: “Immobilise is a free online registration service that allows the public to record ownership details of their valued possessions. The information entered into Immobilise is stored in a secure database, accessible to the police. This helps identify the rightful owners of lost or stolen property, increasing the chances of recovered items being returned to them.”
It adds: “To register your items on Immobilise, simply create an account and enter details such as the make, model, and serial number. Once registered, your items and ownership details are viewable on the Police National Property Database (NMPR), which law enforcement uses to trace the owners of lost or stolen property. This can increase the chances of your belongings being recovered and returned to you, while also reducing incentives for theft and increasing risks for thieves.”
Gloucestershire case
During the segment, Wilding mentioned a BBC article entitled ‘Burglars steal rings and throw paint over pet dog’.
The report, published on September 11, saw the BBC reveal that a man arrived home after a night out to discover his house had been burgled, valuables had been taken, and paint had been poured over his dog.
Steven Paddock and his family left their home in Stratton, Gloucestershire and returned a few hours later to find the patio doors had been smashed and valuables – including his wife’s engagement and wedding rings – stolen.
Paddock said the family’s springer spaniel, Chip, had been mistreated by the burglars and “spent that night spooning with me and trembling.” Gloucestershire Police said it was investigating the incident, which was one of three burglaries reported in the area at the time.
Wilding was clearly angry and said that while the dog is recovering well, he was left shaken. The expert then stressed that even basic safety measures can deter an intruder – and that could be all it takes to keep your property safe.