Firstly, I bought a brand new Brenton Padlock bolt for our gate with an extra position in which to place a padlock for added reinforcement. Our old bolt had been fairly flimsy and rusty as we hadn’t replaced it since we moved in eight years ago, so it’s no wonder the burglars managed to break our gate open. This means that now, when we’re not using our gate or are leaving the house, we can bolt and then padlock the gate for added piece of mind.

We also bought a fake CCTV camera to attach to the side of our property. We bought it online, and although it doesn’t actually record anything, a burglar wouldn’t know that, as there is a flashing blue LED light which makes it look as though it’s always in use. This acts as a good deterrent and makes people less likely to attempt to break in or tamper with the bolt.

My wife also insisted that we place our spare building materials at the side of the house where the gate is located. This makes it seem as though there is building work taking place, so there could be builders around who could spot anyone trying to break into our garden. We have also placed some heavy bricks and concrete slabs close to the gate to make it as inconvenient as possible for anyone trying to gain access.

Image via: Kendall Lane Designs

Another idea we haven’t tried yet, but may well do, is to get our straight-topped fence panels replaced with wooden panels with pointed tops, or failing that, have decorative metal spikes attached to the top of the fence. This way, nobody is able to jump and grab on to the top of the fence, allowing them to climb over. It would be fairly pricey to install this all the way round the fence, but it might be an idea to place the pointed fence panels along the front of the fence at least, where the fence meets the exposed side of the house.

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