Home safety: It's a matter of security

CARMEL Haigh was on her guard straight away when she heard the knock on her door.

It was about 9.45pm on a Monday evening and dark outside. She wasn't expecting any visitors.

"I didn't even think of opening the door at that time of night," the 74-year-old says. "I just said 'who is it?'"

She could not see the shadowy figure clearly through the frosted glass, except to tell that it was a man. He did not sound threatening, she says - apart from the fact that it was late in the evening. "He said 'I'm sponsoring something', I couldn't really hear clearly what, and I just said 'I'm not interested, please go away'. And he did."

Mrs Haigh was sufficiently concerned to phone a couple of neighbours to warn them that a strange man was wandering about. One of them told her: "There's somebody at my door now, but I'm not going to answer it."

Mrs Haigh thought no more about the incident until she learned later about the shocking attack on pensioner Mary Burton which occurred that very evening.

A teenage robber barged open Mrs Burton's front door and demanded cash. He shook the frail 77-year-old so violently by the hair that she needed 21 stitches - and, after taking £20 in cash, left her lying in a pool of her own blood.

Mrs Burton later told the Evening Press she had answered her door because she thought the caller might be her son. She said she felt sorry for her attacker, who she thought looked about 16 or 17. "He looked so young and horrified when he saw the blood running down my face. He said 'I'm so sorry, I didn't mean this to happen'. I felt sorry for him," she said.

For Carmel Haigh, who lives in a street near to Mrs Burton, the news of the attack came as a shock. She realised the man who had knocked on her door must have been the same man who attacked Mrs Burton. If only she had called the police, she says, as well as alerting her immediate neighbours, the attack might never have happened. "The police could have come around and if the culprit had seen them it would probably have scared him off."

York police recommend that if you spot anybody suspicious you should call them. "If we don't know about it, we can't do anything about it," said Sgt Colin Ventress.

Everything else that Mrs Haigh did that evening - keeping her door closed and warning her neighbours - was exactly right, says Kelvin Warlow, of Age Concern York, who offers advice to elderly people on home security.

There is a golden rule when answering the door, Kelvin says don't open up unless you know who the person is, either because they are personally known to you, or because they show you identification to prove they are with a reputable organisation such as a gas or electricity company.

"Be aware, and if in doubt keep the door closed," he says.

Mrs Haigh is determined that she is not going to live in fear. "You've got to live your life," she says.

Nevertheless, she accepts it is important to use your sense and take some basic precautions.

She was only too pleased when Kelvin offered to visit her home, with the Evening Press in tow, to give some simple advice on home security.

The doors

BOTH the front and back doors of Mrs Haigh's home are glass panelled. Each has a chain, and a deadlock for extra security.

Kelvin checks the chains and is satisfied. He then gives advice on how to use them. Chains should not be slipped on except when you are about to open the door, he says. You should especially not keep them on at night. If you keep them on all the time and have an accident in your home, relatives or members of the emergency services cannot get in to offer help.

It is essential to slip the chain on before you open the door. Even if you are expecting someone, slip the chain on to check first.

The glass panels in Mrs Haigh's door are not a security problem, Kelvin says. They are double glazed - therefore good and strong - and burglars don't like breaking glass. It makes a lot of noise, and there is always the danger they could hurt themselves.

Because of the glass panels, Mrs Haigh does not need a spy-hole fitting in her doors, Kelvin says. He would recommend a spy-hole for anyone whose door is solid wood, however.

Windows

ALL Mrs Haigh's windows are fitted with locks which immobilise the handles. It is important to keep these locked when the windows are not in use, Kelvin says. That way a burglar cannot break a small pane, reach through, and open the main window by turning the handles from the inside.

Keys

NEVER leave keys in doors, Kelvin advises. A burglar could reach in through the letterbox, grab the keys, and use them to unlock the door.

Do not leave keys lying around in sight of windows, either. They are a real temptation. Even if a burglar doesn't break in, they could break a window pane, for example, reach in with a stick to hook the keys, and use them to steal your car. Something similar happened to a neighbour of hers, Mrs Haigh admits: a burglar reached through a window and took a pair of trousers. Fortunately the keys were not in the pocket.

Keys should be kept out of sight, somewhere where you know they are safe, such as a drawer, Kelvin says.

Elderly people with mobility problems who are often visited by relatives or other carers could also think of having a key-safe installed, Kelvin says. He has heard of people in wheelchairs who leave their door open so that carers can come and go without them having to struggle to the door to unlock it.

This is not a good idea because an unlocked door leaves people vulnerable to burglary. A key safe is a secure box, opened by keying in a secret number, that is kept outside your house. Keep a single spare key in there and give the code for opening the box only to close relatives or carers who may need to visit you. Then they can get in without you having to go and unlock the door - yet your house remains secure.

Flood lights

A SECURITY light outside your door that switches on whenever it senses motion can be a real deterrent, Kelvin says. Burglars don't like light. A plug-in nightlight with a timer switch placed near a window can also be a good idea. It can be set to come on at a regular time or randomly: so a burglar can never be sure whether anyone is home.

Invisible markers

IF YOU mark your valuables with a security pen - an "invisible" pen whose markings only show up under a special light - you could get your property back if you have been burgled. There is also a greater chance that the burglar could be caught.

Age Concern home visits

AGE Concern York offers free home security checks to anyone over 60 living in the York area. If you are aged over 60 and on a low income, the charity can also fit a range of security devices free of charge under a scheme funded by Safer York Partnership, says Age Concern's deputy chief officer James Player.

Equipment that can be fitted free includes:

- Door locks and chains

- Window locks

- Door spy holes

- Loud doorbells (for the hard of hearing)

- Plug-in nightlights

- A key safe (for those with limited mobility)

- A door entry system (for those with limited mobility).

The Age Concern worker who visits your home can also give advice on health and safety.

The charity also offers a home maintenance service for the over-60s in York. A nominal fee is charged for a range of odd jobs around the home, such as mending dripping taps or fitting lightbulbs or smoke alarms.

For those who need more work doing in their homes, the charity has produced a Home Services Directory, which lists reputable tradesmen in the area who have been vetted by the police, trading standards and Age Concern itself.

To arrange for a home security check or home maintenance visit, phone Age Concern's Practical Services department on 01904 427150.

Age Concern is a charity, and relies for much of its funding on donations and fund-raising. To make a donation phone 01904 621020.

Updated: 10:28 Friday, November 04, 2005