07/01/2026
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A cautionary tale of home security
Home safes can be a very good thing and a useful part of any domestic home security plan. Someone brought a home safe to a local police station yesterday.
The key had stopped working and they were hoping that we could use some of our ‘methods of entry’ expertise to get into it, hoping the ‘big red key’ or the long ‘hooley bar’ would make short work of the little metal box.
At that point we had to explain that those pieces of equipment are designed to work on much bigger doors that are attached to buildings and that this steel box would just bounce around on the ground getting a bit dented and scuffed.
“Was this safe previously attached to something in your house?” we asked.
“Oh yes” came the response “I managed to prise it off”
FIRST PIECE OF CRIME PREVENTION ADVICE
If you can prise it off, so can a burglar. Does the quality of your fixings match the quality of your home safe? Even if a burglar steals your safe but is later thwarted by its strength, you are still left without the valuable contents. The use of masonry bolts on at least two different axis to anchor the safe in place is recommended.
And the tale continues
“Have you considered taking it to a professional locksmith?” We asked. “It might be costly and take a while, but it would cause the least damage”
It was at that point we learnt that the owner had booked a last-minute holiday and the family passports were inside, along with the holiday money and whole load of other essentials. Time was of the essence.🏖️🌞🌴
SECOND PIECE OF CRIME PREVENTION ADVICE
Needing a locksmith never happens at a convenient time. Before you need one, ask for recommendations from friends and family, check for accreditations with recognized bodies such as Master Locksmiths Association (MLA) and consider emergency availability. So when the problem arises, the research is already done.
www.locksmiths.co.uk/faq/choosing-a-locksmith/
But let’s get back to the tale....
Naturally we asked if there were any spare keys to the safe. Maybe a different key would work better in the lock.
“Yes, I put them in the safe”
THIRD PIECE OF CRIME PREVENTION ADVICE
Don’t store spare keys inside the thing that you have locked. Store them safety, securely and discretely in a memorable location.
Things were not looking good at this stage, but we are always keen to help and solve problems.
It’s at this point the sergeant became involved and began to work his magic on the home safe. An adept jiggle of the key here and a well-aimed tap of the door there - years of experience put to work, before the pièce de resistance, a kick with his boot.👞
And the door opened! Not all heroes wear capes, some wear size 10 boots.
It’s perhaps at this point we should point out that we were obviously able to verify the identity of the owner before embarking on this unusual task. Some of our followers may also wonder about use of a grinder - not available at every station. Thank you to the owner for letting us share this cautionary tale.
