Everyone knows to lock our doorways, set our alarms, and shut our blinds/curtains with the intention to shield our residence from potential burglars – however one factor we’ve admittedly by no means thought-about, is the impact our hedges could be having on our residence safety. Sure, actually!
John Lewis Residence Insurance coverage (opens in new tab) not too long ago surveyed 1000 UK households, and found that many people aren’t clued up on the methods by which our hedges can maintain our houses protected – or not.
67% of these requested, revealed that their entrance hedge(s) stands at 1 metre or increased. One third admitted that theirs was double that. So why is that this an issue? Based on the police, and the charity CrimeStoppers, our entrance hedges ought to truly be as little as potential, to discourage criminals from breaking in.
(Picture credit score: Future Publishing Ltd / Polly Eltes)
The thought behind this, is that burglars are much less prone to be noticed breaking in behind tall hedges in our entrance gardens – making excessive hedges enticing to potential criminals.
Mick Duthie, Director of Operations at CrimeStoppers (opens in new tab) defined: ‘These surveyed mentioned they maintain their entrance hedge excessive to forestall folks climbing on it, or seeing in. However we all know that what issues most to criminals is not being seen. A excessive entrance hedge provides them cowl whereas they’re in your property or backyard.’
However chopping our hedges is not all Mick recommends doing with the intention to maintain burglars out. ‘We additionally advocate holding all hedges thick, prickly and dense to additional deter intruders,’ he mentioned.
For those who’re questioning what kind of hedge specifically could be most safe, John Blackstaff, Plant Nursery Supervisor on the John Lewis Partnership’s Leckford Property, has some suggestions that may look good and postpone burglars. He mentioned, ‘I like to recommend Pyracantha (firethorn), which is evergreen, vigorous and thorny, as its identify suggests. A Holly bush (Ilex aquifolium), can also be a superb conventional evergreen species, whose prickly leaves will keep off intruders.’
(Picture credit score: Future PLC/ Douglas Gibb)
And it’s not solely our entrance hedges we needs to be contemplating in the case of making our houses as safe as potential.
Based on Mick, it is simply as necessary to maintain the hedges in your again backyard excessive, as it’s to maintain these in your entrance backyard low when planning backyard concepts.
He defined, ‘a low rear hedge provides them easy accessibility to flee out the again.’ As such, a prickly, thorny hedge is ‘significantly efficient for again hedges, as a strong hedge can block the escape of thieves who try and exit through the again backyard.’
Who knew? We’re off to seize the strimmer!
