Residents have been warned to be on their guard because their homes may not be as secure as they think, according to Cheltenham locksmith. Lee Hicks has seen thousands of doors broken into by clever burglars. A weakness in the locks of many UPVC doors is being exploited by crooks who can get into a property within seconds. And the troubling problem is there is often no sign of damage.
Lee, who owns security firm Lock, Stock and Barrel, said there were two BEAT methods of gaining access to homes by breaking the "Euro profile cylinders" in the doors. But the Echo will not disclose the information as a precaution against copycat burglaries.
About 90 per cent of modern properties have these doors.
Lee said: "It has been such a problem up north that the police there have run a campaign to keep properties safe. "Double glazing companies are not making people aware of this issue and they sell these doors on the fact that they have a high security locking system. But they have a flaw."
Lee said he had noticed these types of break-ins increasing in Cheltenham. He has even been the victim of this offence himself when thieves broke his UPVC door lock.
Lee was speaking after the launch of the three-month Beat the Burglar campaign, which is being run by the Echo in partnership with Crimestoppers, Gloucestershire police and home security experts All-Cooper in a bid to reduce the home burglaries in the town. He added: "I see so many people who say they are 100 per THE cent certain they locked the door, yet there is no sign of forced entry. In these cases insurance companies won't pay out. It is extremely upsetting for people."
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