Public Beware where you get your advice.

admin — Sun, 12 Jun 2011 13:15:58 +0000

Many lock installers, locksmiths, online sellers, hardware vendors throughout the UK and even SecuredByDesign (the Association of Chief Police Officers) are recommending you buy/install kitemark locks as per the statement below on the SBD website.
Secured by Design recommendations
The lock cylinders should be tested to BS EN 1303 Grade 3 and can be replaced.
The current kitemark standard EN 1303:2007 does not test adequately for cylinder snapping.
The fact that SBD and some locksmiths who consider themselves the custodians of security and credible sources of information have for some time, been fully aware of this and continue to advise the public to fit non secure locks I find a little hard to take. Unfortunately some organisations are happy to miss lead claiming those type of burglaries don’t happen in this area or hide behind false standards for commercial reasons.
At time of writing the only standard to fully test for all weaknesses in euro profile cylinders is Sold Secure Diamond.
There are plans to introduce a new standard, driven by the double glazing industry (not locksmiths or security experts), which I believe will cause more confusion and miss-selling for the public, and also has has too many commercially interested parties driving it for it to be un-biased. The MLA and many other credible sources have serious reservations about this standard. I will update in the blog should this be pushed through.

..stick to Sold Secure Diamond – ABS Locks – tested to a real standard against real world attack techniques.

Lock Snapping is Spreading

admin — Wed, 08 Jun 2011 18:31:24 +0000

First Blog:

trying to keep this informative and up to date!

Information from West Yorkshire Police npt website shows that lock snapping is now one of the most popular methods of forced entry. In one small area of Leeds, in one week in May there were seven burglaries within close proximity to one another. In six of these incidents access was gained by snapping the Euro profile lock using mole grips or similar tools.

West Yorkshire Police has also said it is essential that homeowners take steps to replace weak Euro profile locks with more secure locks. They recommended homeowners make their properties more secure by installing cylinders which meet Sold Secure Diamond Standard.

Also today I was contacted by our Elite locksmith in Stratford-Upon-Avon and informed he was attending a burglary where the cylinder had been snapped using a screw and pulling method.

These figures show that lock snapping has become the preferred choice of entry for burglars. The problem is not restricted to West Yorkshire. It’s becoming a UK-wide problem. Burglars have learnt the weakness of Euro profile locks and can easily break through in less than one minute leaving homes vulnerable. With this method of forced entry growing, homeowners need to think about how to make their home safer. At properties where the ABS Snap Secure Cylinder has been installed, burglars have found it impossible to break in. It’s the most secure cylinder on the market. Because it can be retrofitted, it’s a cost effective solution to increasing security and driving down crime.