West Midlands Police

Low or damaged fencing allows easy access to your property.
Gates, fencing, walls or hedges should be at least 1.8 metres high.
Fix a wooden trellis fixed to the top as if climbed, it will break, create noise and attract attention.
Gates at the side or back of the house should be kept locked with a good quality bolt and padlock.
Garden sheds should be kept locked - with a padlock or mortise deadlock as they often contain tools suitable for breaking into your home and valuable equipment such as lawn mowers.
Do not leave ladders lying around. These provide the burglar with the means to climb into upstairs windows. Keep them locked in a garage or shed, or chained to a wall.
Install security lights to illuminate your garden - they can help deter thieves. There are two types available; lights fitted with sodium tubes that come on automatically during the hours of darkness and turn themselves off when it gets light, or lights operated by sensors that come on when movement is detected.
Keep shrubs, hedges and large plants cut back. They can provide a screen for thieves to work behind.
The planting of a prickly hedge, such as firethorn, climbing rose or hawthorn, against existing fencing will act as a powerful deterrent.
Thread a chain or wire through the handles of tools and bikes so they are all connected and can not be removed easily