A number of homeowners believe extreme decoys and strange hiding places are the way to win against thieves, however specialist home insurance provider Hiscox warns that the traditional basics of home security should not be forgotten as the summer peak season for burglaries approaches.

Hiscox has seen some householders turn their homes into hidden treasure hunts to try and outsmart burglars such as burying valuables in the garden, sewing jewellery into curtains and using decoy doors . Recent examples of unusual security techniques identified by the insurer include leaving fake’ jewellery lying around the home to trick thieves, hanging out washing so the house appears occupied and making the front door look scruffy to try and disguise the value of the content inside.

Andrew Cheney, senior risk and valuation advisor at Hiscox UK, who in his role visits hundreds of homes every year, said: “Homeowners can be quite creative in their attempts at securing their valuables. However, many of their inventive hiding places are quite obvious to most thieves. It’s far better to prevent thieves from being able to access your home in the first instance.”

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