UPVC door reminder after nine burglaries in Barking and Dagenham in one night

Police are reminding residents to lock their UPVC doors properly following nine burglaries in Barking and Dagenham in one night.

Almost all of the burglaries, which took place between last Tuesday night and Wednesday morning, involved an unlocked UPVC door.

Many people think it is sufficient to pull up the handle to lock the this type of door, but burglars can put tools through the letter box and push the handle down. Police are urging residents to lock the door with a key and then remove the key, especially when they leave the property or go to bed.

A police spokesman said it is not uncommon for officers to find whole rows of homes with tool marks on the doors where a burglar has gone from property to property looking for the door hasn’t been locked.

Det Ch Insp Lee Barnard added: “The majority of burglars get in through UPVC doors that have not been properly locked or through windows that have been left open. Close windows and lock your front and back doors. Making these simple adjustments to your security routine could mean that a burglar bypasses your property. “

“Home burglary causes misery and inconvenience to residents but it can be easily avoided. Please work with us to make life difficult for burglars. I have seen far too many victims who are filled with regret at having left their home open to thieves.”