Isle residents urged to spring into action to tackle outbuilding crime

Humberside Police is urging you to “spring” into action to ensure your sheds and garages are secure as the evening get lighter.

Spring begins when the clocks go forward on Sunday 29 March 2015, resulting in longer evenings for everyone to enjoy. This also prompts people to get out in the garden, undertaking DIY tasks, get out on their cycles and have a relaxing round of golf or a leisurely fishing trip. These activities all sure one thing in common – the items used are stored in sheds or garages, unfortunately these items are often targeted by opportunist thieves.

Tools, fishing/golf equipment and pedal cycles can all be worth a considerable amount of money and therefore are tempting for thieves as they can be easily sold onto other people. To stop them getting hold of your stuff we would urged you look at your outbuildings and assess how strong the shed and garages are, if the locks are sufficient and whether additional security products should be invested in such as alarms, lighting or CCTV. In addition, you should consider what you store in these buildings as valuable items maybe better placed in your home.

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To protect your outbuildings and their contents the following tips could make the difference:

1. Make sure your shed or garage is secured with a good quality lock.

2. Keep back gates locked when not used.

3. Are fences surrounding your garden easy to climb over? This could be all the deterrent required to stop a thief from getting into your garden.

4. Security lights can be a great deterrent if your home or garden is secluded from street lighting etc.

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5. If you have a household alarm consider extending it to cover your outbuildings or fit a bespoke shed/garage alarm.

6. Consider what you store inside your shed or garage as valuable items should ideally be stored in your home.

7. If you have an expensive bicycle or motorbike, make sure you have a good quality lock securing it when it is not being used. Spending thousands on an item and pence on a lock makes for an easy getaway.

8. Record a description of your cycles and any other valuable property on www.immobilise.com.

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To highlight the dangers of insecurity in the home and wider garden area, police have worked with film students at Franklin College in Grimsby to produce an online videos highlighting the dangers of not securing your outbuilding.

Click on this link to see the video Outbuilding crime

A spokesman said: “