New research reveals the cunning strategies that Brits are employing to protect their homes - many of which would not be out of place in a Home Alone movie. Over 2.5 million Brits pretend to own a dog and leave a bowl out on display to ward off burglars, while one in ten canny Brits (ten per cent) call on neighbours and friends to move their car into different parking spots whilst they are away.
With recent figures showing burglaries in the UK on the rise, the study by esure home insurance found that Brits are not just relying on home security equipment to safeguard their properties but the art of deception too. Nearly a third of homeowners (29 per cent) get a neighbour to open and close curtains when they are on holiday and ten per cent even leave the TV on when they are out.
A digitally-minded one in eight Brits under the age of 25 (13 per cent) now use Facebook to spread misinformation about their whereabouts and nine per cent use Twitter to ward off intruders whilst they are away.
In the month that government announced plans to place people's right to defend their property in statute law, the research also revealed that a whopping 57 per cent of Brits would be prepared to take matters into their own hands and tackle or use violence against an intruder in their own home.
The average Brit spends £402 a year on warding off burglars and securing their homes. The most popular security items that Brits use to protect their homes are window locks (73 per cent), closely followed by upgraded door locks (46 per cent) and alarms (36 per cent) - spending £225 on their security alarms every year.
In the fight against intruders, nearly half of Brits (48 per cent) seek to fool would-be thieves by leaving lights on or placing them on a timer, while 16 per cent regularly leave the radio on when they leave the house. More than one in ten Brits (13 per cent) pretend that their home is occupied in front of the taxi driver that picks them up for a night out or airport transfer with almost a third (29 per cent) saying they do not trust taxi drivers who know that their home is empty. The most popular method of deception, employed by half of Brits (50 per cent), is calling upon neighbours to remove post from view when their house is vacant.
Surprisingly, just a quarter of Brits (26 per cent) said they were members of a neighbourhood watch scheme, but 63 per cent regularly watch over their neighbours' properties while a third (33 per cent) make sure they report anyone suspicious in their neighbourhood.
Making a burglar's job even more difficult during their peak season, 39 per cent of Brits said they plan to spend their holiday period this summer in their own home with over half (56 per cent) admitting they spend more nights in at home than five years ago.
Nikki Sellers, Head of home insurance at esure, comments: "As a nation, we are well known for regarding our homes as castles and it appears that burglars are starting to get the message. Many hard working Brits will be embarking on well deserved holidays at this time of year so the last thing they should have to deal with is an intruder in their home.
"By taking a few precautions, such as investing in a timer for lights and cancelling deliveries, householders can avoid a potentially distressing experience and focus instead on enjoying their summer holiday."
Those in the North East are the most willing to confront an intruder with over two thirds (68 per cent) admitting they would be prepared to use violence to protect their property. One in ten (10 per cent) people from the West Midlands pretend they own a dog by putting a ‘beware of the dog' sign on display to ward off burglars. 73 per cent of people in Wales regularly watch over their neighbours' property - the highest of any region polled.
Over two thirds of men (70 per cent) admit they would tackle a burglar who entered their property, in contrast just 42 per cent of women agreed that they would stand up to an intruder. Men fork out more than women when it comes to purchasing security equipment spending on average £440 per year with the average amount spent by women coming in at £358.
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