Business Hours Telephone: 01702 346274 Emergency (out of hours) numbers: 07977 346274 07866 346274
brights locksmiths ltd - because security matters
When your property is stolen, replacement of the missing items is only a small part of the real cost to you. Your time is valuable, so do you really want to use it talking to policemen, insurance companies, assessors and suppliers? Do you enjoy filling out forms? Even when the lost items are replaced, having been burgled whether at home or your place of business always leaves a very uncomfortable feeling that can last for years.
At Brights Locksmiths Ltd we have four key beliefs:
Many people still believe that security is an expense
Security can save you a lot of money, time and trouble
Good security needn’t cost a fortune
Security is a saving, not a cost
Best of all, you only have to make one call for everything that you need to avoid all this hassle. Brights Locksmiths Ltd offer a full range of services to keep your home, your workplace, your vehicles and your outbuildings secure. This counts for primary security like locks, safes and access control systems as well as secondary or deterrent security such as alarms, security lights and surveillance cameras.
brights locksmiths ltd - security tips
Guidelines for keeping your valuables safe
This may sound like stating the obvious, but if you have locks use them! Lots of people have good locks, but when they go out, they don’t lock them, especially those deadlocks because it takes a little more time to use. If I tell you that a professional thief would take less than 10 seconds to break in without a deadlock, then would you take 10 seconds to lock it? Here are some of my personal recommendations to keep your family, home, vehicle, office and your valuables safe without spending a fortune. In fact many of these security hints are completely free, all you have to do is think about how you use the resources that you already have.
Make sure your locks are up to a good standard. Check new and existing locks for British Standard markings. All last closing external doors should be fitted with a mortice lock complying with B.S.3621. If your doors are made from uPVC, they should have at least 5 points of locking up the side of the door, or 2-4 hook bolts with a latch and deadbolt. If you have a 3-point deadbolt lock, the deadbolts should throw at least 20mm depending on what lock type you have. Once again, when you leave the property, make sure that you lift the handle and deadlock the door. Alternatively you can turn the key twice towards the frame, which will also deadlock the door.
Don’t leave your keys in the locks. To be safe keys must not only be removed, but placed at least 1.5 metres away from windows and doors. Never leave keys in the vicinity of the letterbox, especially car keys. If you leave keys accessible, you are just leaving easy pickings for thieves. When a thief has been able to fish your keys out of the letterbox with a stick, they have access, regardless of what locks you have on your doors!
If you are locked out of your house could you get back in without too much trouble? So can a thief. You hae a security problem.
Every house should have a safe. Every item of value that is not immediately needed for use should go in the safe. Your safe should be large enough for all your credit and debit cards, cheque and bank books, passports, spare house and car keys, house deeds and of course jewellery and spare cash. When buying a safe, make sure it complies with the relevant standards of EN 14450 & EN 1143-1, if it is not, then your insurance may be invalid, leaving your valuables uncovered. Every household has items with values greater than the installation cost of a safe. This alone makes it a good investment to prevent the valuables being stolen. One final tip on installing a safe; Make Sure You Anchor It Down Securely
If you have just moved into a new house - change the locks! Never leave this to chance. While you may trust the vendors, how can you trust someone that you have never met? Who has a spare set of keys? They may never use them, but they might just pop in while you are on holiday just to be nosy. How good is the keyholders’ security? What if someone steals your neatly labeled keys from someone else’s house? What if they lose them? If you don’t change the locks, you will never know who has access to your house.
Secure your outbuildings, sheds and garages.A lot of people are really great at locking up their houses, but when it comes to the shed or the garage, they forget! Locking your outbuildings is just as important as locking your house, if not even more so. So many sheds and garages contain tools (spades, forks, screwdrivers etc.) that can be used by burglars to break in. Not only to your house of course, they could go through the whole street. How would it make you feel when facing the neighbours after that one? Also, don’t forget those ladders and side gates. These should be locked with a good quality hasp and staple, padlocks and chains.
Alarms are a very good idea, but the locks come first. Make sure you secure your property, then the alarm comes second. You don’t want to invite burglars in, letting them snatch and grab what they can while someone may get round to phoning the police! If you have an alarm that is monitored, you might have to wait 15-20 minutes before anyone arrives. You want to keep tieves out of your property with the alarm going off, not let them in with an indication of how long they have got to rob you blind! Your alarm must be serviced regularly, at least twice a year if you want a reduction in your house insurance. Also, don’t forget that to get a reduction in the first place, your alarm must be fitted by an approved installer, like Brights Locksmiths Ltd.
Security lights and cameras are also a good idea. Make sure that they are fitted correctly and don’t forget to be sensitive to your neighbours. In the fight against crime, neighbours can be great allies, They may be less kindly disposed towards helping you if they are woken up every time a cat walks in range of your PIR sensor.
Have your property surveyed by a Qualified Locksmith. Make sure they are MLA (Master Locksmiths Association) approved. They will be able to tell you where the weak points are and what new security measures, if any, you need to take. Most reputable companies will carry out a survey for free and give you an estimate for work needed to bring your security measures up to Insurance Company Approved Standards. Visit the MLA (Master Locksmiths Association) website at www.locksmiths.co.uk and follow the link to Home Security for help in finding your local licensed locksmith, and other security information.
Even after reading all of this, there are people who will think nothing will ever happen to them. They would rather leave security to chance. That is up to the individual You have the information. You have a choice
brights locksmiths ltd - crime statistics
It’ll never happen to me! Oh won’t it? According to the Home Office website crime statistics for Essex in the year April 2005 to March 2006, the county’s residents reported the following crimes against their property:
14,856 Burglaries
50,699 Vehicle Crimes
30,564 Criminal Damage Incidents
It can (and does) happen to anyone. Seasonal variations are also reported in the Home Office figures. Bicycle thefts increase in the summer, while burglary and car crime increase during the winter. Whatever time of year it is, all your property is at risk if it is not secured. Talk to Brights Locksmiths Ltd today and help keep what is yours, yours.
brights locksmiths ltd - quality and price policy
Brights Locksmiths Ltd employs only qualified, experienced locksmiths, all of whom have been thoroughly vetted by the police and CRB (Criminal Records Board) checked. Our thorough, professional approach means you can be confident that not only will you get a top quality job, but also the best possible advice on your overall security measures.
At Brights Locksmiths Ltd, we use only the highest quality security products from trusted, reputable manufacturers as your security is too important to cut corners.
With the quality and experience offered by Brights Locksmiths Ltd, you would expect to pay a premium price. The good news is that you will find us extremely competitive. How is that? Brights can save you money on your security in two ways; firstly, with the skill and experience of our locksmiths, your work will be completed in the shortest possible time. Good news when you are paying by the hour! Secondly, our strict policy is not to ’enhance’ prices of hardware included in jobs. What you pay for a lock that we fit is exactly what you would pay if you bought it over our counter. This is a point well worth raising with any prospective security supplier.
Our labour rates are highly competitive both for scheduled work and for emergency callout work. We even publish the full scale of charges on our website so you can be sure there are no hidden extras or nasty surprises on your bill.
brights locksmiths ltd - our southend shop
The Brights Locksmiths Ltd Security Centre is much more than just a shop. Personal callers are always welcome and there is always helpful advice available from real experts to make sure that you get the most effective security products and get real value for money.
There is always a wide range of products on view, from locks and chains through to safes and many security alarm systems that can be seen working.
Our restricted key service is very popular, and once your signature is held on file at the security centre, keys will only be issued to you when it has been verified. This way, no matter how many people are trusted with your keys, you know exactly who has them and that they cannot be reproduced.
At Brights Locksmiths, we believe in doing our part to help protect the environment. As Master Locksmiths, we can very often save waste by repairing rather than replacing your locks and keys.
When replacement is necessary, we are firmly committed to sending out all metallic and plastic waste materials for re-smelting and recycling.
With the country facing an ever-growing landfill crisis, every little helps to keep down the costs to you and to the environment.
