Protect your rural property

Fit hinge bolts close to the bottom and top hinges of any outward opening doors, as these can help to prevent forced entry.

If any of your doors have glass panes, install laminated glass for maximum security. The inner plastic layer holds shards, preventing quick entry and deterring burglars.

Consider adding a letterbox deflector to prevent people from fishing for keys or accessing thumb-turn locks.

A locksmith belonging to the Master Locksmiths Association can reinforce any door frames and check if the locks and hinges are British Standard approved.

Security lighting can be used to deter potential trespassers.

Select dusk-to-dawn lightbulbs to provide a constant level of lighting; intruders are less likely to approach a well-lit building.

Visible burglar alarms and CCTV are a deterrent. Make sure you always use a reputable company to install your CCTV.

The following companies meet essential standards:

• National Security Inspectorate
• Secured by Design
• Security Systems and Alarms Inspections Board

Video doorbells give you an instant notification and video footage of someone at your front door. They can help improve your home security and help identify possible intruders.

Keep a comprehensive record of your property, including makes, models and serial numbers.

This helps should items be recovered at a later date, enabling the police to reunite the property with its rightful owner.

Consider taking photographs of your property and make sure you register on the Immobilise Property Register.

Mark and engrave expensive equipment, tools, plant with your postcode, house name and number. Marking can be done with UV pens, engraving, stamping and tagging or forensic marking.

Burglars do not want to be seen or heard by a neighbour or passer-by.

With that in mind, make sure passers-by can see the front of your home by keeping any fences or hedges around one-metre tall.

At the rear and sides of your property, taller hedges, fencing or walls are recommended to prevent easy access.

Planting thorny or barbed shrubs along boundaries and fence lines provide an effective natural barrier to intruders.

Make it difficult for anyone to climb over fences, gates and walls by applying anti-climb toppings such as plastic spikes.

Remove and secure items, such as ladders and garden tools, that may be used to break in or climb up fences or walls.

Regularly check the condition of any gates on your boundary, and block or remove all gates and entry points that are not in use.

Make sure gates are secured with either a:

• mortice deadlock, if the gate is thick enough
• decent hasp and staple secured with a closed-shackle padlock, to prevent a hacksaw or bolt croppers being used

Invert gate hinges whenever possible to prevent gates from being lifted and removed.

If the site is a farm, consider putting a second inner gate at the private end of the farm entrance, to keep the living accommodation separate from the working farm.

Consider bringing gates as far forward as possible to reduce any recessed areas.

Protect unused rural entrances with a combination of physical barriers to block vehicles and deterrents that make the area appear active and monitored.

You could consider blocking any unused entrances or land with:

• concrete blocks or barriers
• machinery
• tree trunks or large rocks
• earth bunds or mounds
• ditches

This will help to prevent easy access to your land or property.

Modern farm vehicles are vulnerable to thieves – from tractors to quad bikes, trailers to horseboxes, combine harvesters to crop sprayers, and more.

For more information, visit our prevent agricultural vehicle theft page.

• Consider burying or enclosing electric fencer units, mark them (and the batteries) with your postcode or paint them in a distinctive colour.
• Mark all tack with your postcode using metal punches, engraving tools, or forensic marking.
• Photograph your tack, keep a comprehensive list of all items and register them on the Immobilise Property Register.

• Carry out regular counts on all your livestock, maintaining concise records of your stocks and tag numbers.
• Make a note of any distinguishing marks or features on your livestock, particularly horses or any other high-value animals within your stock. Consider taking photos.
• Consider the use of wildlife cameras, if you keep your livestock at isolated locations.
• Install gate alarms or beam alarms at locations where you keep livestock to alert you to any unauthorised vehicles entering your land.