Mark your property to deter burglars

Mark your property to deter burglars

A determined burglar can be difficult to discourage. Good-quality doors, windows and locks are excellent deterrents, but there’s even more you can do to slow down burglars in their tracks.

Mark it

Make your valuables less attractive to thieves by using a police approved forensic marking solution only visible under Ultraviolet (UV) light. This can take the form of a special marker using ink or paint. Mark or etch your property with your postcode, house or flat number or the first three letters of your address. All of these measures help police identify stolen goods, making it harder for thieves to sell. So make your mark. For information on police approved marking products, visit the Secured by Design website.

Property marking isn’t only for things like electrical items and bikes, you can also mark high value belongings like antiques. However, we recommend that you seek specialist advice.

If you have forensically marked your property, tell the criminals about it. They will not want to steal your property if they think there is an increased chance of them getting caught with items that are stolen and identifiable. A good way of doing this is by using stickers or posters that are usually provided with the forensic marking kits.

Record it

Register your property for free on Immobilise – it helps the police identify the owners of recovered property. Don't forget to add a serial number if it has one.

Take photographs of valuable items (next to a ruler for items of jewellery), note down the serial numbers for tools or electrical items and keep documents like receipts related to your property so you can prove ownership.

Register your bike

If you value your bike, then register it with accredited cycle registration database Bike Register and make sure it is marked to advertise this.