SINCE the Covid pandemic, the pattern of house burglaries has changed. More people are working at home during the day and most house burglaries now happen at night, and are usually opportunistic, often to pay for a drug habit.

Criminals look for houses that appear unoccupied and are low-risk to break in to. The Police talk of the “one-minute rule” – if the criminal thinks it will take more than a minute to break in or get access to the back, they will usually walk on by.

I have been on evening patrols with Woking Police looking for houses that appear unoccupied and have no visible deterrent such as a working house alarm. You can do the same.

Step outside in the evening and look at your house, and your neighbour’s houses. Do they LOOK unoccupied? How can you prevent your house being targeted?

The police tell us that 75% of burglaries are through a door, and 22% through a window. Make a rule in the house that the last person to leave is responsible for checking that all windows are closed and all doors are locked – even if that person is of school age.

Make the windows and doors as secure as possible without breaking the bank with the cost. Window locks are cheap and stop the criminals opening the window if they smash the glass. Make access to the rear of your house difficult. Keep sheds and garages securely locked, as heavy garden tools are useful for smashing doors and windows.

Security advice for your home with chairman of Woking's Neighbourhood Watch Martin Stilwell. (Picture supplied)

Can a criminal look through a window and see your laptop, your purse or a wallet, your car keys? Think about putting a privacy film on windows that criminals can look in to. This is cheap and easy to apply. Consider house alarms, CCTV cameras and outside lights that come on when movement is detected. Video door bells are also a big deterrent.

Remember, make your house LOOK occupied at all times. Timer lights and a TV simulator light are very effective. If you are away for a time, have a “bin buddy” put out and take back in your rubbish bins on collection day.

If the criminal does manage to get into your property they will usually spend quite a bit of time searching it, so hide valuables or put them in a safe that is bolted to the floor.

Always report break-ins and attempted break-ins, even if nothing is stolen. Call 999 if urgent, 101 or use the live chat function on www.surrey.police.uk if time is not of the essence.