What to do after a break-in

We attend the aftermath of burglaries across Manchester more often than we would like. The people involved are usually calm on the phone and shaken when we arrive. There is a lot to think about, and most of it can wait. This guide sets out what cannot.

Do not go in if you think someone is still inside

If you arrive home to signs of a break-in, an open door, a broken window, a light on that should not be, do not go in. Go to a neighbour's or sit in the car and call 999. If you are already inside and hear someone, leave the way you came and call from outside. Property is replaceable.

Call the police before you touch anything

Once you are sure the house is empty, call 101 to report the burglary, or 999 if it is still in progress or you feel unsafe. You will be given a crime reference number. Your insurer will want it, and so will we for the invoice.

The police may want to send a scenes-of-crime officer, particularly if there are obvious fingerprints or footprints. Until they tell you otherwise, try not to touch the point of entry, and do not tidy up. Photograph everything as you found it: the door or window, the rooms that were searched, anything obviously missing.

Make yourself safe for the night

This is where we come in. A house with a forced door or a broken window is not secure, and the unpleasant truth is that burglars sometimes return within days to a property they know is easy. Our burglary repair and make-safe service is available at any hour.

What that involves depends on the damage. A door that has been kicked in usually has a split frame and a broken keep, and sometimes a damaged lock. We repair or brace the frame, replace the lock and keep, and fit a new cylinder so any keys taken during the burglary no longer work. A window that has been forced or smashed we board from the outside or reglaze, working with Marcus, our glazier, if the glass needs replacing. Our guide on a broken window at night covers that side.

If keys were taken, or you are not sure, we recommend changing every external lock that night. If a car key was taken, tell the police and your insurer immediately.

What to tell your insurer

Most policies require you to report a burglary within a set period and to take reasonable steps to secure the property. Keep our invoice; make-safe and emergency lock changes are almost always covered. Photograph the damage before we repair it and again afterwards. If an assessor wants a written description of the damage and the work done, we provide one. Our insurance work page explains what we supply.

In the following days

Once the immediate repairs are done, walk round the property with us or on your own and look at it the way an intruder did. Where did they get in, and why there? A back door with a euro cylinder that snaps, a ground-floor window with no key lock, a side gate that opens with a push: these are the things we see over and over.

The upgrades that make a real difference are not expensive. Anti-snap cylinders certified to the current British standard on every external door. Key-locking handles on ground-floor windows. A proper bolt on the side gate. Better lighting at the back. Our security upgrades page lists what we recommend and roughly what it costs, and it is quoted as planned work rather than at emergency rates.

Looking after yourself

A burglary is an intrusion, not just a loss. It is normal to feel unsettled in your own home for a while afterwards, and it is normal to want the locks changed even if nothing was taken. Victim Support offers free help to anyone affected by crime, whether or not it was reported. We mention this because customers often ask, quietly, whether the way they are feeling is reasonable. It is.

If you have just discovered a break-in and need the property secured, call the emergency line on 07343 065023. We will tell you the callout price before anyone is dispatched, and we will be honest about what needs doing tonight and what can wait until it is light.