West Yorkshire Police warn of lock-snapping rise
21 February 2012
West Yorkshire Police have warned residents to pay more attention to their home security after a rise in the number of lock-snapping break-ins.
Since 2009, officers claim that there has been an increase in burglaries where criminals break the lock cylinder in two through excessive force in order to gain entry to a property.
Police have said that this type of burglary currently counts for 27 per cent of incidents in West Yorkshire and is most commonly associated with euro cylinder locks.
"These locks locks are vulnerable to this type of attack but it can take between 50 seconds and two minutes to force the lock," warned Chief Superintendent Paul Money from the force.
He advised that anyone uncertain about the quality of their locks should consider installing other security measures and may want to contact their local crime reduction officer for further suggestions on protecting properties from break-ins.
