When I was little, my parents slept with a baseball bat under their bed – just in case burglar bill ever tried his luck and broke in downstairs – now, twenty years on, I’m tempted to do the same – and I’m not alone in wanting to protect my home – more than one in twenty householders admit that they have gone one step further and rigged up devices to stop thieves…
In a mindset reminiscent of that classic film Home Alone, where a young boy sets traps to catch out two burglars attempting to ransack his home, many UK property owners have taken extreme measures to protect their properties.
New research from insurance firm Direct Line reveals that many people have set booby traps – such as holes in floorboards, loose stairs, hidden trip wires, garden pits and even plant pots or ornaments attached to hidden strings – to catch out baddies.
But, what many people don’t realise is that these traps could cause someone else to end up on the wrong side of the law – themselves. It is illegal to set a trap to injure an intruder and, according to the Crown Prosecution Service, ‘a householder who knew of an intended intruder and set a trap to hurt or kill them rather than involve the police would be acting with very excessive and gratuitous force and could be prosecuted.’
In extreme cases, some property owners who have been repeatedly burgled have illegally set traps involving nail bombs or shotguns.
The study also found four in ten householders would arm themselves with objects they could hurl at an intruder. Seven per cent would even use an axe and 14 per cent would use a knife.
Sixty-five per cent of British householders would arm themselves with bats, walking sticks and other household items to use as protection if they were to come face-to-face with an uninvited guest.
Nearly one in three (29 per cent) would use a cricket bat, baseball bat or tennis racquet to protect themselves, while 17 per cent would reach for a walking stick to keep themselves safe.
Men are much more likely than women to try to stop an intruder with more than seven in ten men said they would approach a burglar, compared to 54 per cent of women.
Andrew Lowe, Head of home insurance at Direct Line, which polled 2,000 people, said," “Our research shows the extremes that some householders would go to in order to protect their property from intruders.
“However, while it’s natural for many to look out for their family and their belongings, we do not recommend anyone resorts to violence as you put yourself at risk of injury or possibly even death.
“It is far better to ensure that you have the maximum amount of home security that you can.
“Carrying out simple security measures, such as keeping doors and windows locked, can help ensure householders and their possessions are kept safe,” added Mr Lowe.
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-ENDS-
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