Patlock, a fitted French door lock that secures all shoot bolts and door levers, is helping householders facing the cost-of-living crisis keep their property safe this Christmas.

Offering a ‘prevention is better than cure’ approach when it comes to safeguarding your home, Patlock is designed to protect against the rising trend of ‘lock-snapping’ - popular among burglars as it only requires simple brute force to force entry - no specialist tools or techniques are required. The method involves breaking the cylinder of a UPVC door, which enables the trespasser to manipulate the lock to open it. When compromised, the cylinder renders all the other locking points useless. Patlock ensures all doors remain in the locked position by preventing outside handles from being operated and thus removes the option to open the doors from the outside.

The weakest point of entry in most homes is at the rear of the property via a patio or French doors. However, burglars tend to avoid houses with visible security systems and solid doors. Patlock is aesthetically pleasing yet offers both maximum visibility to show UPVC French doors and conservatories are securely locked from the inside while also acting as a powerful visual deterrent.

Figures from the Office for National Statistics show that there were 267,931 incidents of burglary in England and Wales to the year ending March 2021; while thefts were on the decrease (down 30% from 2020 to 2021), the reduction is believed to have occurred due to the pandemic’s lockdowns. Now, with the cost-of-living crisis escalating, Paul Keighley, managing director at Rectella International Ltd., distributors of Patlock, says he believes homeowners need to remain extra vigilant in the run-up to Christmas, particularly as the following facts show:

• A burglary takes place every 106 seconds in the UK

• More than a third (38.1%) of burglaries occur during the day

• In 64.1% of attempted and successful residential burglaries, someone is in the home

• More than half (58.7%) of burglars gain entry through the front door

• The average value of stolen items amounts to £2,856 per household

“No one can afford to lose money in this way. You are literally giving away an average of £600 to any burglar by failing to take simple and cost-effective, yet very robust, precautions. Although this figure spikes to nearly £3,000 per household as high-value figures skew the overall median figure; either way, it’s a lot to lose, not to mention the loss of gifts and sentimental items, the disruption, the cost of repairs and upset that ensues from the aftermath of a break-in,”

Easy to fit and release in seconds and with no key or code required, Patlock is recommended by Police Forces and Crime Prevention organisations throughout the country.

Patlock (pic. Below) is priced at £60 (RRP) and is available from Argos, B&Q, and Robert Dyas.