As the evenings draw in, homeowners on the Wentworth Estate and across the surrounding Surrey countryside are being urged to take a fresh look at their security. Weekends away and longer hours of darkness all create opportunities for burglars. Those who protect high-value homes say the criminals involved are often more organised, and more patient, than many residents assume.

Surrey Police currently lists burglary prevention as a priority in several local areas, using visible and covert patrols, community intelligence and crime-prevention advice. In rural parts of the county, burglary is specifically identified as a current policing priority.

Three security specialists explain how offenders operate, and what residents can do about it.

Planned, not opportunistic

The popular image of a burglar acting on impulse does not match what security teams are seeing. Andy Verrall, Senior Client Protection Manager at Knight Protection says that on the estates his firm protects, there has been a clear pattern in recent incidents.

“These are rarely spur-of-the-moment break-ins,” he says. “Burglars will often visit a property in the days beforehand, sometimes as a group of two or three, before returning to make an attempt.”

Jeff Hill, Director of Harrier Global makes a similar point. Some offenders will take whatever opportunity presents itself, he notes, but others deliberately target a particular property because they believe it contains assets worth stealing. Criminals may build a picture of a home through information gathered online, knowledge of household routines or other observations, and they may anticipate which security measures are installed and factor them into their planning. A secluded house that cannot be seen from the public highway is not, therefore, a safe one.

Through the garden and up to the bedroom

According to Mr Verrall, the rear garden is the usual way in. Offenders will often wait in the shrubbery, watching the house, before moving along the hedge line where they are less likely to be seen.

“Part of what they’re doing is testing the property,” he says. “Does a light come on? Is there a camera? Does anything sound? A home that responds is one they’re far more likely to leave alone.”

Once at the house, the first floor is an increasingly common target. Mr Verrall says his team regularly sees garden furniture, or whatever else is to hand outside, used to reach first-floor windows. Master bedrooms tend to sit at the back of the house, which is also where jewellery and watches are usually kept: small, valuable and easy to carry.

Mr Hill describes the same weakness. Homeowners often invest heavily in ground-floor security while giving less thought to bedrooms and other upper-floor rooms, and organised criminals may smash a glass pane in an upstairs window to gain entry. Watches, jewellery, cash and designer handbags remain attractive precisely because they are valuable and easily transported.

Frankie Brown of Cannons Security adds a practical reminder: ladders, tools and other equipment that could be used to reach a window should be locked away rather than left in the garden, shed or garage. Garages, sheds and workshops deserve protection in their own right, as they often hold bicycles, garden machinery, power tools and sports equipment, but Mr Hill cautions that outbuildings should not distract from weaknesses in the main house itself.

Safes: a target as well as a defence

A safe can be an important layer of protection, but it is not foolproof. Mr Verrall says bedroom safes are a common target, and smaller ones are sometimes simply carried off to be opened elsewhere. One simple but effective measure, he suggests, is a dummy safe in the master-bedroom wardrobe, which “can send an intruder away with nothing of value.”

Mr Hill stresses that a safe’s suitability, installation and security rating matter, and that homeowners should check whether their insurer requires a particular standard. He also urges residents to read their policy wording closely. A valuable watch may be covered when worn or kept in an approved safe, but not necessarily when left on a kitchen worktop, and high-value items can be subject to individual limits or requirements to be specified separately. “Discovering a gap in cover after a burglary is too late,” he warns.

What your social media gives away

Both Mr Hill and Mr Brown highlight the information homeowners unintentionally share. Photographs of expensive watches, handbags, cars and homes help build a picture of someone’s lifestyle and possessions, while holiday photographs, airport posts and location tags can advertise an empty property.

Their advice is not to abandon social media, but to review privacy settings, avoid publishing identifiable addresses or details of a property’s layout, and share holiday photographs after returning home. Mr Hill adds that the same discretion applies to household staff and contractors, who may know about possessions, routines and periods of absence.

Making a home look occupied

A house that remains unlit in the late afternoon can signal that nobody is home. Timer plugs or smart lighting can create a more natural pattern of activity, and Mr Brown recommends good exterior lighting around entrances and less visible areas. Letters and parcels should not be allowed to accumulate, and valuables, including car keys and handbags, should be kept out of sight. Mr Hill suggests a radio left on and a trusted neighbour or property manager keeping an eye on the property during longer absences.

Mr Brown describes good communication with neighbours as one of the simplest security measures available. Neighbours may notice something unusual that a homeowner, away travelling, would miss.

Building layers of protection

All three experts agree that no single device is a complete answer. Mr Hill says the important question is whether security measures work together to address the vulnerabilities a determined criminal might exploit, and what happens when one measure fails. Are there other layers capable of detecting an intrusion, delaying progress or prompting a response? Are there gaps between layers that leave an alternative route in? Mr Verrall encourages clients to think in layers.

“Internal locks on the doors in and out of the main bedroom limit how far an intruder can get,” he says. “Motion sensors should cover rooms on every floor, not just downstairs, and shock sensors on windows will raise the alarm before anyone is inside. Add motion-activated lighting and audible warnings outside, and the property becomes far less appealing from the very first approach.”

His most effective tip is also the simplest. “Set your alarm every time the house is empty, even if you’re only out for half an hour. And once you’re home for the evening, set the perimeter alarm then. There’s no need to wait until you go to bed.”

Mr Hill adds that sensors alone are not the answer, because their effectiveness depends on how they integrate with the wider alarm system and what happens when an alert is triggered. He also notes that landscaping changes, building work, new possessions and altered routines can introduce vulnerabilities that were not present when the original security was designed.

A walk around the property

Mr Brown suggests using the darker months as a prompt to look at the home with fresh eyes, from the street, and to ask:

• Could someone tell that we were away?

• Could valuable items be seen from outside?

• Are the garage and shed as secure as the house?

• Are our outdoor lights working?

• What information about our home is publicly visible online?

He also reminds residents that home security extends to the driveway. Vehicles should be locked, valuables removed from sight and keys kept somewhere secure.

Reporting suspicious activity

Suspicious behaviour or vehicles on the Wentworth Estate should be reported immediately to the Wentworth Patrol on 07899 984272. Surrey Police also encourages residents to report suspicious activity, including people who appear to be checking whether homes are occupied or surveying addresses. CCTV, doorbell-camera and dashcam footage can be submitted through the force’s Suspicious Activity Portal

Not a fortress, but a harder target

No property can be made entirely immune to crime, and the experts are keen to avoid alarm. “None of this is about turning a family home into a fortress,” says Mr Verrall. “Most of these measures are discreet. Together, they take away the quiet, unobserved approach that burglars rely on, and make a home a harder, slower and noisier target.”

As Mr Brown puts it, good security is rarely about one expensive product. It is a combination of sensible habits, physical security, awareness and looking out for one another.