It’s the month of love, and what better way to celebrate it than to prioritise your safety and of those loved ones around you. A good place to start is to make sure everyone in your household knows exactly what to do in case of an emergency.

Assessing your property and doing a thorough check to rule out any vulnerable areas should also be on the to-do list. Fidelity ADT suggests taking a walk around the property to look for anything that could help an intruder access and exit the property easily. Are there low-hanging tree branches that can be used to climb over a fence or wall? Inspect the locks on perimeter gates and garage doors – are they in good condition, or can they be broken with some force? Be on the lookout for anything that can be used to force entry. And if you have an electric fence, when last did you test it?

Inside the house, we suggest that window and door locks must be checked regularly. It’s important that outward-leading doors, and windows, are locked from the inside when no-one is home and overnight. Regardless of the time of day, keep curtains or blinds drawn in a way that makes it difficult to see in from the outside. And, never leave valuables – or keys – anywhere that they can be seen or reached from a window.

Lastly, if there is any reason to believe that there is an intruder on the property, it is advisable to never go outside to investigate. Make sure that everyone in the household knows that they must immediately call the police or your security company. Try to remain on the line with them until officers arrive, and only venture outside once they indicate that it is safe to do so.