Normanby-by-Spital: Spate of shed thefts

On the morning of Saturday 16th May a shed break-in was reported at a property in Highgate Lane and is believed to have happened overnight.

Offenders ripped the shed door off its hinges to gain entry, nothing was stolen from inside.

On the afternoon of 16th May an insecure garage was reported to have been broken into at Chapel Lodge Drive.

A Black and Decker strimmer and electric mower were stolen.

A similar was also reported on the same morning. Offenders unscrewed a shed door in Main Street to gain entry, nothing was taken from inside.

Anyone who may have seen or heard anything or anyone suspicious in relation to these incidents is asked to contact us on the non-emergency number 101. Alternatively contact the independent charity Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.

Thefts from insecure sheds are common-place.

Sheds, by nature of their design, can never be made very secure, especially if someone is determined to gain access. If valuables or tools are stored in them you should take action to secure these as well.

Here are some simple tips to help make your shed less vulnerable to an opportunist thief:

Put your shed somewhere it can be seen. Don’t hide it at the bottom of your garden.

Illuminate the area around your shed using dusk till dawn lighting if possible.

Keep it well maintained.

Use good quality security hasp and staples that hide the fixings when closed. Use two (one fitted 1/3 up and one fitted 1/3 down the door).

Use good quality closed shackle padlocks to reduce the risk or them being bolt cropped (go to www.soldsecure.com for further information on security tested products).

Use coach bolts to secure external hinges and hinge bolts (dog bolts) to help prevent the door from being prized open on the hinge side.

Consider fitting bars to windows. You can install a piece of ply board to the inside (using coach bolts to fix it through the shed frame), but if you have your tools clearly secured, it might be better to let a thief see in!

Consider fitting a shed alarm. These are stand-alone devices designed to disrupt a thief. Do not rely on such devices to protect you shed and its contents alone! They might also be set off by insects and rodents in your shed! We recommend using them only as an addition to the other measures.

Consider integrating your shed into your home alarm system, especially if you have valuables items in it. If doing this, use door contact sensors and check your glass is secure before installing break glass sensors.