Police in Chiswick


THE POLICE IN CHISWICK

A Secure Garden

Your garden should be a peaceful and relaxing place for you to enjoy. You can also make it a secure place that will help to protect you and your home from burglars.

Fencing in your garden
You should put up a strong fence to make it harder for burglars to get into your back garden. You could have a fence made from panelling or railings or you could build a brick wall. Whichever you choose, ensure that it does not have any features, which would make it easy to climb over.
The fence should be a minimum height of 1.8m/6ft including trellis. If the height exceeds 2m/6ft 7ins including trellis, you may require planning permission from the local authority.
Trellis should be secured with screws on the garden side of the fence and should be strong enough to support a climbing plant, but not an intruder. This is one instance where a lesser quality is preferred.
A boundary wall or fence at the front of your property will also deter intruders. If you have a large hedge at the front boundary, ensure that it does not grow too high. Passing pedestrians should ideally be able to see the bottom of the ground floor windows. A high hedge may give you privacy but it also allows intruders to hide, unseen in your front garden.

Gate
The garden gate should be the same height, and as strong as your fencing or wall. It should have hinges securely fixed to the gateposts and secured with a padlock or strong integral lock. If you have metal gate, ensure that the cross bar is not a convenient height for climbing. Many people use wire mesh on the exterior of the gate to prevent climbing

Paths
If you are thinking of relaying the front path, consider using gravel as a topping. The noise may warn you of anyone approaching the property

Lighting
Lighting activated by photoelectric cells will ensure a general coverage, particularly in the back garden. Other lighting, which may be considered, is activated by heat or movement sensors. It is important that the sensors and lamps are fitted out of reach from the ground

Planting
You can make your fences more effective by planting something prickly and thorny next to them.
Train a thorny climbing plant, like a rose, through the trellis on the top of the rear fence. Anyone trying to climb over will soon find out that although roses look attractive, they can feel just like barbed wire.
Plant prickly shrubs along the bottom of your fences or walls to discourage unwanted intruders into your garden. It is also advisable to grow low level prickly shrubs underneath ground floor windows.

If you require further advice regarding the types of shrubs and hedges, which will provide the best protection, please contact the Crime Prevention Officer at Chiswick Police Station on 020 8247 6424.

A booklet can be provided free of charge


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