Power Tools at Dawn

0318040FV 17th April 2003 Power Tools at Dawn ~As DIY mania takes hold, the advice from MK Response and a-man-in-the-know is forget the drilling, concentrate on beating the burglars~ This bank holiday, the drills and workmates will be coming out in force as the rush to the DIY stores begins. As people battle over building materials and ponder over paint - MK Response warns that home improvements will be in vein if you don't protect your property Alarmingly only 18% of us actually protect our properties with a burglar alarm. "A home without an alarm is an invitation to opportunist thieves", says a man in the know - Richard Taylor. The reformed burglar and presenter of BBC1's 'To catch a thief' primetime TV series continues: "safeguarding your property, whether it's a single bedroom apartment or a palatial country retreat, should be your top priority." The nation is in a rush to update their surroundings and add value to their homes with their latest home improvements, but what good is adding value when you aren't protecting your assets? And with almost a million properties burgled between April 2001 and March 2002, the need for a burglar alarm has never been more prominent. People are scared, not of being burgled it seems but are put off just installing the alarm in the first place! Yet fitting a burglar alarm is as easy as putting up shelves - and how many of them will be going up this bank holiday? Typically people are deterred by the fear factor and call the professionals. But why get the experts in when you can quite simply Do It Yourself? MK Response realises all too well that telling your PIR from your CCTV can be a nightmare, so here to dispel the myths of installing burglar alarms is MK Response with a little help from Richard Taylor: The Myth.. The Fact.. "It will take all weekend to It will take around two hours to install a burglar alarm" install an MK Response Wirefree alarm in an average sized home, leaving you more time to enjoy your bank holiday "It won't be as reliable if 'I Do Wirefree technology is every bit as It Myself'" reliable - just easier and quicker to install "An Alarm system says to burglars - Richard Taylor says: "An alarm come and rob me - I've got turned on is guaranteed to turn the expensive tastes" burglars off." "I can't afford an alarm system - Richard Taylor says: "It's your they cost a fortune!" possessions that are worth a fortune - the alarm would only set you back a couple of hundred quid - a small price to pay for peace of mind." And when it comes to deterrents, Richard Taylor knows exactly what it takes to stop a burglar, "Burglars hate noise and anything that attracts attention, so wailing sirens and flashing lights are soon going to scare them off. As an ex burglar, I know if you haven't got an alarm you may as well leave the front door open and your wallet on the side" Response alarms are available nationwide from B&Q, for more information call the Response alarms consumer help line, 0870 2403385. -ends- Press Enquiries: Julie Doyle/James Bullen icas PR, 19 Garrick Street, London, WC2E 9BB Tel: 020 7632 2400, Fax: 020 7240 2520, Email: julie@icas.co.uk Notes to editors: § The Response Alarms SA5 kit comes with everything you need to protect your home, and for around £250 it's not going to break the bank. § Stats from Crime in England and Wales 2001/2, Home Office § Richard Taylor is a reformed criminal who was previously involved with domestic and commercial burglary and theft. Richard is now a church minister with the Free Methodist church, Solihull. ------------------------------------------------------------ This information was brought to you by Waymaker http://www.waymaker.net The following files are available for download: http://www.waymaker.net/bitonline/2003/04/17/20030417BIT00400/wkr0001.doc http://www.waymaker.net/bitonline/2003/04/17/20030417BIT00400/wkr0002.pdf