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It was just before Christmas last year when it happened. My wife and I were sat in our TV room with a cup of tea watching the 6 o'clock news. It was a normal evening. But little did we know that we were being watched.
Later in the evening, when it was time for bed, we climbed the stairs ready to wind down for the evening. We could not have prepared ourselves for what happened next.
Our bedroom window had been completely smashed open. Our safe, which contained all our valuables had been ripped from the wall, and all our personal belongs were now missing from the room.
Our home was secure, or so we thought. We had CCTV installed, which is supposed to be if anything, a deterrent, but looking back now, it wasn’t enough. A gang of three had climbed our gates, under the cover of darkness they crept around to the back our house and began to break in. The most shocking part is that one of three had been stood on our terrace, looking through the window and watching us. This was so he could sound the alarm to the others if he saw that we were alarmed by any noises.
My wife and I were devastated. It’s not just a shocking thing that happens and a sadness that all your stuff is missing. It’s worse than that. It’s a sick feeling in your stomach as you realize that you’re no longer safe in your own home, and then what do you do?
A year later, no arrests had been made and we gave up hope of our having our valuables returned. But we vowed that we would take control and not feel unsafe in the home we raised our family in. Believe it or not, we discovered we weren’t alone. Burglaries are not only on the rise but burglaries, where someone is present in the home, is growing too. And only 5% of these burglaries are solved.
That’s when I knew something had to change, My main concern was how this episode had affected my wife’s state of mind, it made her nervous to go upstairs alone, and she really didn’t feel safe in the house when she was on her own, and of course, we are both totally aware of the risk of it happening again. So, I decided to address the situation, and fast!
I researched CCTV cameras, sensor activated flood lights, and additions to the house alarm etc but I had to take into consideration that it now takes on average up to 7 minutes before a 999 call is even answered and then there’s the time it takes for police to respond.
But there was nothing perfect out there. The products on the market were great for alerting people to a burglary that may be taking place but what if you were out or asleep? I wanted something that actually worked and stopped burglars actually getting in so that I could confidently tell my wife that the problem had been resolved.
So more research was the order of the day and after long deliberation, I came to the conclusion that in my opinion, the only thing that would really work would be a physical barrier. And I came across the concept of roller shutters. I googled and googled to try and find a company that could supply me with a roller shutter that could be fitted in such a way that you wouldn’t even know it was there, something sophisticated, elegant and refined, but would also be triggered by an intruder approaching via a sensor.
And then I came across The Security Shutter Group who, let me tell you, provided the ultimate solution! Lee Wells who owns the company was so very professional and a delight to deal with from start to finish. We eventually had some windows fitted with roller shutters on the outside and others including our bedroom fitted on the inside. The installation was fast and painless with no fuss and no one would believe or can tell we have had them installed as they are so discreet. When the project was completed my wife and I was absolutely delighted and now we can now relax and feel safe and protected once again.
Do you sometimes feel unsafe in your home? Has something like this ever happened to you? Share with us in the comment section below. For more information on The Security Shutter Group you can visit their website here, or call them on 07898 783590.
