There’s little point investing in a high-quality padlock and hasp for your shed if you’ve got poor quality hinges. Thieves will often prise open a door from the hinge side, if the locked side is stronger. It’s also worth thinking about anchoring your shed down, as determined thieves will not hesitate to lift it off its base to gain access, if the contents are sufficiently attractive. You can also install a shed alarm with a PIR motion sensor, which will emit a piercing siren when movement inside is detected, alerting you to any attempted break-ins before your shed contents are stolen.
Plants, ornaments, containers and pieces of garden furniture are also an easy target for opportunistic thieves. It’s possible to use ground and wall anchors, locking brackets, alarms and movement detectors as well as specialist property marking solutions to make treasured items that are difficult to stow away a less likely target.
My Secure Garden is an independent, family-run business that’s dedicated to improving garden security. We have sourced a fantastic selection of high-quality products, which are offered at competitive prices, to help you reduce the risk of theft from your outside spaces. All the products we offer have been thoughtfully sourced from specialist security brands and manufacturers. Many items we offer have achieved awards for their design, and independent accreditations for their quality and standards.
In choosing to offer products that are sourced from specialist suppliers and manufacturers, our aim is to help you access security solutions that are proven to be effective and provide you with peace of mind. Items that have received Secured By Design (Police Preferred Specification), Sold Secure, or Loss Prevention Certification Board approval have passed rigorous tests to prove that they are fit for purpose.
My Secure Garden takes a look at three key industry accreditations which are relevant to home and garden security.
Secured by Design (SBD)
Secured By Design is the official UK police service initiative which seeks to improve the security of buildings and their immediate surroundings. SBD’s product-based accreditation scheme – the Police Preferred Specification – provides a recognised standard for all security products that can deter and reduce crime.
Sold Secure
Backed by the home office, Sold Secure was established in 1992 by Northumbria & Essex Police combining two initiatives; Partnership Against Car Theft (PACT) and Sold Secure. Sold Secure is now administered by the Master Locksmiths Association in a purpose-built test facility at the MLA’s Head Office in Rugby, Warwickshire.
Sold Secure is dedicated to reducing the risk of crime by the assessment of security products through manual attack testing. Manufacturers and suppliers can apply to have products approved by Sold Secure. Products which have been satisfactorily assessed may bear the coveted Sold Secure Approved quality mark.
The Loss Prevention Certification Board (LPCB)
The Loss Prevention Certification Board (LPCB) is a globally recognised third-party certification body. Part of the UK’s Building Research Establishment (BRE), the LPCB has worked with industry and insurers since 1868 to set the standards needed to make sure that fire and security products and services perform effectively.
The LPCB offers third-party certification to European, International, British and its own Loss Prevention Standards (LPS), to confirm that a product will perform as expected.
My Secure Garden’s product portfolio
My Secure Garden currently offers around 40 accredited security products and we expect this number to grow as the website expands.
Please don’t be alarmed to see that the security cameras and floodlights we offer don’t carry the above-mentioned security accreditations. It seems that many of the more rapidly evolving products, such as those using camera systems and lighting technologies, are less likely to apply for testing and accreditation by these organisations, but that doesn’t mean that they are not fit for purpose. All of the products we offer are carefully researched and selected because we believe they are market leading and will help make your gardens more secure.
Insurance considerations…
Research from Go.compare home insurance, published in June 2024, found that 65% of the population currently has a shed or outbuilding at home – and despite the fact that the survey revealed the average UK shed is used to store around £455 worth of valuables, 55% of shed owners questioned didn’t have insurance to cover their sheds or outbuildings, hadn’t thought about it, or didn’t know if they had the right cover.
Although we are advised that many home insurance policies may provide cover against loss, damage or theft of things from your garden, it’s always worth checking what your policy provides – so that you can consider upping the cover limit if necessary.
If you choose to store expensive items like power tools and bikes in your shed or outbuilding, it’s important to tell your insurer about them – so that they can include it in their risk calculation when they price your policy.
It’s also worth bearing in mind that, if you need to make an insurance claim for items stolen from your outbuildings, your insurer will ask you to provide proof that the building was locked and that the thieves forced entry. If you’re not able to provide this proof, insurers can reject your claim.
My Secure Garden’s products and solutions are available to help you ensure that your valuable outdoor items are adequately protected.