Our friends got burgled

[alittlebitfrench]

So our French friends (we have friends) got burgled when they were on holiday a couple of weeks ago.

The burglars stole a lot of stuff.

They live in a maison maitre on a quiet street but in a busy town.

There are only two windows (street level) that someone can gain access to the house.

The burglars entered by one of these windows which at the time was closed by a wooden shutter.

So the question is, how would you secure the windows at street level ?

P.S. Anyone reading this thread, let this be a lesson. No house is fool proof.

[EuroTr@sh]

I would have an alarm. On a quiet street that should attract attention.

(I don't, though.)

[woolybanana]

Bars, metal grille with the alarm which should be linked to a fast reaction company or the gendarmes.

[alittlebitfrench]

Burglar alarms go off all the time around ere. No one rushes out.

Not sure burgular alarms would change much.

The Police are quite unless by all accounts. That is a different thread. Don't rely on them.

So how do you secure two windows ?

Grilles are going to block the light !

[nomoss]

Large, 2cm thick, steel plates, with their lower edges angled at about 20º and sharpened to a knife edge, to cover the inside of each window, running up and down in vertical tracks.

On leaving the house all plates are raised, but if a window is disturbed there is a mechanism to drop its steel plate. It might be advisable to place a basket with an impermeable liner inside the window.

This should with luck provide at least one hand, so that the burglar can be identified by checking the fingerprints.

[Noisette]

You're such a big softie, nomoss lol Why not wired to the mains while we're at it?

[nomoss]

[quote user="Noisette"]You're such a big softie, nomoss lol Why not wired to the mains while we're at it?[/quote]

Really! I don't want to go OTT.

[AnOther]

I presume they were relying on the stock closing mechanism for the shutters, BIG mistake as those are easily defeated in seconds with nothing more than a screwdriver - ask me how I know!

You need steel bars across the inside (buy at any Brico) and at my old house as a very visible deterrent I added a 50mm x 5mm bar on the OUTSIDE bolted on through the shutters, they would have taken an angle grinder to remove but even then the steel bars inside would have prevented entry.

[woolybanana]

Ernie, where have you been? I thought you went to Spain.

[AnOther]

I did and am still there, no regrets with the move BTW.

Hot out today so I was just having a lazy afternoon on the computer cleaning up a few things and as the site was still in my bookmarks I thought I'd drop by to see what was going on.

Hope all are well.

[woolybanana]

Just about ticking over here. All one expect really.

Do keep posting. How is that elderly MGB?

[AnOther]

I might make the odd cameo appearance for old times sake.

Car's running a little better than your signature I'm happy to report [:D]

39c is a bit hot without AC though so she hibernates for July and August.

Now on her 4th registration number and nudging 400,000 miles, not too many can say either of those.

Might be looking to pass her on in the not too distant future though, memsahib is knocking on a bit and having trouble getting in and out (more so out than in!) and without our long distance soirees, well it's just not the same.

[mint]

If memsahib is Mrs Bluecat, say hello from me[:)]

[AnOther]

She is (or was) and I will.

Will she know you by 'mint' though?

[mint]

She might remember "sweet 17"?  And tell her that every time I make her spiced vin chaud, I think of her[:D]  That is, I think of her BEFORE I have drunk the wine!  After that, I don't think I remember much to think about[:-))]

[AnOther]

You must be thinking of a different 'Bluecat' coz 'er indoors doesn't know a 'mint' nor a 'sweet 17" (nor I unfortunately [Www]) and is all but tea total.

Have you noted our (ex) location?