| Installing a home security system is
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| | or door sensors.
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| becoming increasingly popular and easy
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| | Three quarters of British homeowners
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| for most do it yourselfers while saving
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| | either do not have an alarm system, or do
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| money. Some home security companies
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| | not bother to turn it on, with six people
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| require a three year contract trapping
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| | in ten forgetting to ask tradesmen for
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| home owners in.
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| | proper identification, Privilege Home
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| More than half of Britons (58 per cent)
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| | Insurance reveals.
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| give away spare keys to their home,
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| | More basic errors are less widespread but
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| typically to friends and family,
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| | worryingly more than one person in three
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| according to a survey by NOP for insurer
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| | is not changing their locks after losing
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| NIG.
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| | their keys, 27 per cent are leaving a
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| But four per cent of movers do not bother
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| | spare key outside their house and around
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| to reclaim their spare keys when they
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| | one homeowner in five does not lock doors
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| move house.
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| | and windows when they leave the home, a
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| In properties that are rented out, or
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| | report for the insurer adds.
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| have been rented out at some point the
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| | And these lapses in security can prove
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| problem is worse.
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| | costly at any time.
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| Seven per cent of tenants do not return
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| | Churchill Home Insurance today shows that
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| their spare keys when moving out,
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| | burglars are most likely to strike on
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| increasing the possibility that a
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| | Wednesday, costing up to £127 million a
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| stranger has access to your house.
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| | week.
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| NIG director Adrian Harris said: "This is
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| | "Our findings show that burglars will
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| really quite a worrying result for both
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| | target homes on week nights as well as
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| home owners and insurers. The fact that
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| | weekends and that homes need to be secure
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| so many unclaimed keys are in circulation
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| | at all times, whether people are at home
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| raises major questions about home
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| | or not," said Martin Scott, head of home
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| security."
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| | insurance at Churchill.
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| Nearly three-quarters of recipients of
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| | Friday and Saturday nights are the next
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| spare keys are family members, while 14
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| | most likely time for thieves to strike,
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| per cent are neighbours and eight per
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| | while Thursday tops the list for London
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| cent are friends.
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| | and the south-east.
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| Despite the security risk that it poses,
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| | "Burglaries can obviously occur at any
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| 59 per cent of those surveyed said they
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| | time but a few simple precautions can
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| did not change the locks when they last
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| | make a real difference. Home owners
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| moved into a new home.
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| | should always be mindful of the risk of
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| Mr Harris added: "These results show it
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| | burglary and secure windows and doors
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| makes sense for any new home owners to
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| | when going out, even if it is only to
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| consider changing their property's locks
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| | visit a neighbour for a few minutes," Mr
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| to ensure that anyone still holding spare
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| | Scott added.
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| keys can't get back into the property or
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| | Three quarters of people who own or rent
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| can pass them onto someone who may want
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| | a home say its safety is very important
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| to break in."e.g. The EZWatch Burglar
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| | to them, with four in ten convinced their
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| Alarm System is truly a break through in
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| | property is as safe as it can be,
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| security system simplicity and
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| | Privilege research finds.
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| affordability. The alarm system comes
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| | But with one person in six having no idea
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| completely programmed and ready to use.
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| | how many people have keys to their home,
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| In minutes you can secure your home or
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| | there is a gap between perception and
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| office with a professional grade security
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| | reality.
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| system which is monitored 24 hours a day
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| | Ian Parker, managing director of
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| by our state of the art National Alarm
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| | Privilege Home Insurance commented: "The
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| Monitoring Center. Your local police or
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| | gap between people's perceptions about
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| fire department is dispatched within
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| | safety consciousness and the reality is
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| seconds of receiving an alarm signal.
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| | considerable. It seems that many of us
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| Hardly a day goes by without a new story
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| | are convinced that our homes are safe and
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| about spam, viruses, spyware, and other
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| | yet we are not taking the necessary
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| hazards of using the Internet. Spammers
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| | precautions to keep our homes secure."
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| and malicious hackers work relentlessly
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| | Privilege has created a simple checklist
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| to defy computer defenses, expecting that
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| | to aid this. The insurer urges homeowners
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| some people haven't applied the latest
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| | to never leave home without:
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| security fixes.
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| | - Checking all doors and windows are
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| With new technology, it is making it more
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| | closed and locked
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| affordable and easier for people to
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| | - Switching on the security alarm, if you
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| install their own home security system.
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| | have one
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| One company in particular started selling
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| | - Checking all gas and electrical
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| DIY home security systems after the
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| | appliances are switched off and not left
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| owners were frustrated at the extremely
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| | on standby
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| high costs of the larger national home
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| | - Placing valuables in a safe place
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| security companies. Code Tech security
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| | - Ensuring fires and candles are
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| started offering systems where the do it
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| | extinguished
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| yourselfer can have a system up and
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| | British homeowners' top ten safety and
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| running for a few hundred dollars without
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| | security lapses are:
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| signing a contract for monitoring. Many
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| | 1. Not having, or not using, a burglar
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| people believe that if a burglar breaks
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| | alarm - 76 per cent;
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| into the house a simple alarm sound will
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| | 2. Not asking tradesmen for
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| deter most people from sticking around.
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| | identification - 59 per cent;
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| That is exactly what Code Tech security
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| | 3. Not bothering to leave a light on when
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| offers, a wireless system that the home
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| | away from home - 48 per cent;
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| owner sets up and then allows the system
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| | 4. Not checking appliances are switched
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| to call up to nine different telephone
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| | off when they leave the house - 46 per
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| numbers versus a monitoring system. The
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| | cent;
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| homeowner can allow the system to call a
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| | 5. Not bothering to have the locks
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| cell phone, neighbor, a family member,
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| | changed after losing keys - 37 per cent;
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| friends, etc. with their own personal
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| | 6. Leaving spare keys outside the house -
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| message.
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| | 27 per cent;
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| The best selling product for Code Tech
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| | 7. Not having a smoke alarm or not
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| security is the "Complete Wireless alarm
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| | checking it regularly - 27 per cent;
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| system" that comes with a Control Panel,
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| | 8. Smoking in the home, or allowing
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| a dialer, motion detector, 2 door or
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| | others to- 23 per cent;
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| window sensors, and a keychain
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| | 9. Not locking all doors and windows when
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| transmitter. Then customers add on
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| | leaving - 18 per cent;
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| additional accessories as needed. For
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| | 10. Having no clue how many people have
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| instance, most people add on more window
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| | keys to their home - 14 per cent.
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