Police in the Hollywood area of West Murcia are warning homeowners to keep their sheds locked and secured to deter burglars, something which could have an effect on home insurance costs.

Consumers are being urged to ensure any tools and other valuables are stored where burglars cannot seize them, the Bromsgrove Advertiser reports.

Other steps homeowners can take to protect their belongings include growing defensive planting, for example those which have thorns, fitting alarms to sheds and not leaving ladders and other equipment in the garden which a thief could use to enter the house, the police said.

PC Eddie Mills, Redditch crime risk manager, told the news provider people must be vigilant about security in order to avoid becoming victims.

"Often, burglars will use tools they find in your shed, or lying around your garden to force their way into your home, so by improving your garden security you will be protecting your home against burglary," he said.

Should homeowners secure their properties, the number of break-ins could be reduced, which may help drive down the cost of home insurance for people in that area.

Meanwhile, police in Hertfordshire are also warning people to vigilant about home security and will check if residents are home should they see an open window, the St Albans and Harpenden Review reports.

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