If you think you've had a 'minor' burglary with perhaps a stolen TV or something similar, think again.

For burglars, this is more of an incidental with the real prize being identity theft.

They'll look for items such as:

• Credit Card Statements
• Passports
• Bills

In fact, they'll look for anything that allows them to gain credit at your expense.

After a burglary, please explore all rooms of your house and make sure that none of the above are missing.

The best way to protect yourself from a street robbery is to reduce your exposure by staying in groups, walk in well-lit areas, and paying attention to your surroundings.

Robbery and assault are serious crimes. Whilst money or mobile phones is often the motivation, these are considered crimes of violence because they involve the threat or actual use of physical violence. The basic rules of prevention are to be sensible and alert.

• If possible, don't walk alone during late-night hours. Walk in groups whenever you can - there is always safety in numbers.
• Let a family member or friend know your destination and your estimated time of arrival or return. That way, the police can be notified as quickly as possible if there is a problem.
• Stay in well-lit areas as much as possible. Avoid alleyways, wooded areas and other short-cuts or secluded areas. These are usually not well-lit.
• Stick to the pavements whenever possible. Walk close to the curb, avoiding doorways, bushes, and other potential hiding places.
• If you have to walk in the street, walk facing traffic. A person walking with traffic can be followed, forced into a car, and abducted more easily than a person walking against traffic.
• Walk confidently, directly, and at a steady pace. Don't stop to talk to strangers.
• Wear clothing and shoes that give you freedom of movement. And don't burden yourself with too many packages or items.
• Always be aware of your surroundings. If you are wearing headphones, don't turn up the volume so high that you cannot hear outside noises.
• Avoid carrying large sums of cash, or displaying expensive jewellery, etc. in public.

Finally, don't put up a fight, hand over whatever they're asking for.

With the warmer weather it's easy to forget about home security, but traditionally the summer months mean an increase in burglary.

By following some simple steps you can help to protect your home and belongings and still make the most of the summer.

At home

• If you're in your back garden make sure you keep doors and windows secure. Ensure that if you have a barbecue in your back garden that all windows and doors at the front of the house are locked
• Use strong locks on all external doors and easy to reach windows - such as those on the ground floor, above flat roofs or near drainpipes
• Don't hang keys where they could easily be reached through a letterbox or window and never leave them on a sideboard where they are visible
• Keep valuable items away from windows where they could be seen by passers-by. This includes home computers and television sets
• Never leave garden equipment unattended, even for short periods of time

Garages and sheds

• Try to keep your garage door open only for as long as is necessary. If thieves can see there is something worth stealing from a garage they could come back later and break in
• As with items in your home, valuables stored in either a shed or a garage should be marked with SmartWater or your postcode and house number so if they are stolen and recovered you can be traced and reunited with your property
• Large expensive equipment, like lawn mowers, should be fastened to something bulky. Alternatively, fit anchor posts attached to the floor to provide a fixed point for locking your belongings to

Vehicles

• Don't leave windows and roofs open on vehicles while they are unattended
• When leaving your vehicle make sure there is nothing on show
• If you have a satellite navigation system in your car remove it when you leave your vehicle and wipe away sucker marks from your windscreen

Before going on holiday

• If you're going on holiday use timer switches on radios and lamps to give the impression the property is occupied
• Don't make any significant changes to the exterior of your property. For example, if you never a shut your gate when you're at home, don't shut it when you go away.
• Make an arrangement with a trusted friend or neighbour to check on your home while you're away
• Look at your home through the eyes of a burglar. If you can get into your house without keys then so can a burglar

Despite the national crime figures suggesting an overall decrease in crime rates, rural crime is on the increase.

Particularly vulnerable to crime and seen as easy pickings are farms and estates, where the risk-reward for the thieves is much in their favour.

Farm machinery thefts are up 5.5% on 2009 according NFU Mutual's claims figures with over £40m in machinery thefts alone.

So, the rural crime top 10 are:

1. Quad Bikes
2. Power Tools
3. Land Rovers/4x4s
4. Tractors
5. Trailers
6. Fuel
7. Scrap Metal
8. Lawnmwers and Garden Tools
9. Horse Tack
10. Livestock

At Falcon Security we have a wide range of solutions to protect all aspects of your farm or estate, so if you need any advice, please call us and we'll gladly come and carry out a free survey for you.  Just call 01452 309835 or 01242 603123.