Useful advice on keeping your home and property safe from Neighbourhood Watch Manager Sergeant Annette Anderson, which is equally applicable for weekends, as well as longer periods away:

• Check that your building and contents insurance are up to date. Many householders fail to take out contents insurance because it is perceived to be too expensive or a waste of money. It is important. Neighbourhood Watch schemes usually can obtain a discount.
• Fit plug-in time controls for lamps and light. Burglars are then uncertain if you are in or away.
• Ask a neighbour, friend or family to close and open your curtains, or leave a vehicle parked in the drive at certain times of the day or night. Again this helps to give the impression that you are not away.
• Use UV markers (available from me on request) to mark your valuable assets in the house.
• Ensure that a friend or family member collects your mail and junk papers/ flyers on a regular basis. Uncollected mail often indicates that you are away on holiday or business.
• Cancel the milk and papers.
• If you are going away for any period of time notify neighbours, friends and family and provide a key for emergencies.
• If you have an alarm/monitoring system facility notify the monitoring company.
• Write down the hotel/resort/flight details and give this information to neighbours, friends or family in event of an emergency
• Ensure that credit cards/travellers cheques details have been written down separately to where you are carrying then. In the event of theft, you will be able to quickly cancel cards/cheques and have replacements made available.
• Photograph and catalogue all expensive items, which you are taking on holiday (jewellery/cameras etc). In the event of theft you can quickly achieve payment from an insurance company.

Sergeant Annette Anderson
Neighbourhood Watch Manager
Merton Police
Tel 020 8649 4021
E-mail Annette.Anderson@met.police.uk