Home invasion

[Deep Thinker]

Hi ,I know we have topics on home defence and not some thing I have done a lot about apart from the 8 stone ,four legged warning system and a couple of other things you would consider when putting in new doors etc.
But now more to the fore again as a friend of ours who lives in a more urban area has informed us that a couple not far from them had two invaders who tied them up and robbed them in their home .(Thankfully not physically hurt ,but not the point).
I will be reviewing my home security in the light of this.
There is something badly broken in our society ,but I guess that is why we have so many members on this forum.

[unsure]

for the plan is simple ,
for know its

call the police
shout to make your self heard
that they should make no attempt to com up stairs and that you are armed and will use any force you have to .
this is while on the phone so any thing you say is recorded .
the stairs being a choke point means that only one at a time can go up them and should be easier to hold off .

[yorkshirewolf]

There have been a couple of invasion-type burglaries around West Yorkshire for performance cars, but we're not talking Porsche/Ferrari types, it's been sporty Audi's, Golfs etc, cars that are attainable by normal people, so it's a bit worrying.

Personally we only have a small city car and a van, so not really worth bothering with, but on the 'what if i wake up and someone's in the house' scenario, well, if they get past the dogs (which is unlikely but possible, there have been cases of poisoning) then things are going to be pretty serious, so i'd be in 'life in direct danger mode'

Beyond that, no-one can really say what they'd do until it happens, and i hope it never, ever does.

[BadgerSE]

For home security I always recommend replacing the front and back door hinge screws with the longest screws that can be placed in the wood to enable better kick-in protection. Also what's called a 'birmingham' or 'London' bar (google it) for extra proven door frame protection for a relatively cheap cost to buy and fit.

Also might be worth investing in a security door jamming type device which you can easily source on eBay.

For Windows you can also buy protective film for Windows to prevent them getting smashed by billy burglar.

Also you can pick up cheap audio alarms which you place under a door like a door stop that if the door moves it makes a loud, piercing screech.

All these security items are relatively cheap to buy and easy to get hold of - chances are they will pay off in the long run. All I'm going to say on the matter is if someone really wants to get in, they will.

The idea of home security is not to stop someone but to act as the best deterrent possible.

I'm glad your friends are ok.

[Deep Thinker]

Agree with all the above and it is about levels of intervention .Outer plan buys time and alerts the dog,This in turn alerts me (not a pretty sight in the hours of darkness) to get prepped ie phone calls to police ,shout etc.Then if that is not enough afaid it would be game on. Still think back to old days when my Grandparents never even locked the door.

[BadgerSE]

It's worth noting for self defence purposes that law in the UK you are allowed to use 'reasonable force' when defending yourself, someone or property.

It has to be proportionate and justified force. In court of law it would be down to you to have to justify your use of force and your rationale for using it.

You can research self defence under Criminal Law Act 1967 on the Internet.

[sniper 55]

Another alarm you can get is a thing that loops over a metal door knob, touch the knob on the outside of the door and it goes off, think they're a few quid on flebay. Not sure how that'll work if the dogs go near it though, probably set it off.

[jansman]

I have a wireless alarm system that I purchased from b and q ten plus years ago. It has an external and internal siren that could wake the dead! Not only does it have a programmable keypad, it has key fobs to set and disable the system. These fobs also have a panic alarm button, so if an intruder is in the house the alarm can be triggered even if it was not set before the intrusion. It goes under the 'Response' brand, and Wickes do the same system with their own logo. It can be purchased with magnetic door/ window triggers or infra red sensors. The former is pet friendly ( and sold as such) as cats particularly will not set off the alarm.

The beauty of this is that it is simple to install ( it took me a steady afternoon) and it is totally off grid. The outer siren is solar powered, and all sensors and internal siren are lithium batteries. I just keep spares for when the warning lights tell me they are low, which is not often. If we have a powercut, our system does not go off like hard wired ones!

Only one drawback though. When we test it, it drives the dog bonkers!

[jansman]

http://www.diy.com/departments/electric ... =DIY580611
Here you go. Little linkie for you.

[Yorkshire Andy]

If we have a powercut, our system does not go off like hard wired ones!

Hard wired alarms unless poorly / never maintained or on say a bank should not go off.. Ours has a 7ah battery back up and a separate battery in the bell box in case the bell supply cable is cut