Another top tip for home security from Martin Foster of Spy Alarms in Sevenoaks, Kent.

Concerned about her home security, Mrs. Bartlett had got herself a guard dog - a beautiful Dobermann that she named Rambo.

Mrs. Bartlett felt much safer with Rambo around. He growled menacingly when anyone came within ten yards of the front door or the perimeter fencing.

He also got very excited when he saw her slipping his lead off the hook in the glass porch by the front door. It signalled that it was time for a trip over to the fields at the back of the house and an opportunity for him to have a good run round.

Regular as clockwork at 9.30am and 6.30pm, Mrs. B. would get the lead, attach it to Rambo's collar and take him out for his hour-long constitutional.

Unfortunately for Mrs. B., someone else had noticed what the removal of the lead from that hook by the door signified and one evening, when she and Rambo returned from their walk, they found the broken window round the back and a missing jewellery box.

People regularly put items that they use every day on display in their glass-windowed porches. Coats, walking sticks, dog leads - all potential markers for burglars casing the joint that the house is empty. It is vital that such items are stored inside where they cannot give the occupancy of the house away.

Home CCTV Systems are an effective way of keeping an eye on who is watching your home and monitoring your movements.