Daily Highlights

A secure home will reduce the chance of you getting burgled. Many domestic burglaries are committed by opportunists; criminals will look for homes that have little or no obvious security, have doors or windows left open or seem unoccupied.

Listed below are some top tips to help keep your home safe from thieves:

• Installing an alarm system will help to deter burglars.
• Ensure you have a robust, secure front door with British Standard approved locks and hinges. See the link in Related Information for detailed guidance from the Master Locksmiths Association.
• Install outside lighting, such as motion sensor lights so that intruders cannot approach without being seen.
• Lock your doors and windows every time you leave the house, even when you are just out in the garden.
• Consider installing CCTV, as this is good deterrent for thieves and if you are targeted, CCTV can provide valuable evidence.
• When you go out, leave radios or lights in your house on a timer to make the property appear occupied.
• Keep hedges and walls at the front of your house low (under one metre) so burglars have nowhere to hide.
• Keep side and rear boundaries high and add trellis or prickly defensive planting to make it harder for burglars to climb over.
• If you have a sliding patio door, check it has an anti-lift device fitted so it can't be lifted out of the frame.
• Move bins or garden furniture that could be used to reach windows.
• Ensure communal doors in flats / apartments are closed and secure and report any faults to your landlord or maintenance company.
• Never buzz anyone into the building that you do not know or let them follow behind you.
• Lock and secure any sheds and outbuildings.
• Property mark and register valuable items. See Related Information for details.

Please also see the following websites in Related Information.

An Electrically Assisted Pedal Cycle (EAPC) must:

• Have pedals that can be used to propel it.
• Have two or more wheels – can be a tricycle or quadricycle.
• Have an electric motor not exceeding 250 watts that can't propel the bike when it's travelling at more than 15.5mph.
• Have plate showing the:

- Manufacturer's name
- Battery voltage and output of the motor

Or, be marked with the:

- Manufacturer's name
- Maximum speed in mph or kph
- Power of the motor in watts or kilowatts

• Be fitted with a leak proof battery
• Be fitted with a controller biased to the off position that allows power to come from the motor only when the drive is operated.
• Be fitted with a braking system that complies with EU/UK legislation/standards.
• Not be ridden by a person under 14.

An EAPC that complies with the above can be ridden on the road and won't need to be taxed, registered or insured and the rider won't need a driving licence or have to wear a helmet.

There are many electric bikes available on the internet that don't conform to the above requirements – such bikes must be taxed, registered and insured as a motor vehicle, the rider will require an appropriate driving licence and must wear a crash helmet. Additionally, the bike will have to be type or individually approved before it can be registered.

If you want to buy an EAPC , we would suggest you go to a reputable dealer to ensure the bike complies with the law.