Home raided by burglars in Ireland almost every 30 mins
We were clear in the action we would take if China imposed it
Break-ins
A HOME is burgled almost every half-hour in Ireland – and more than 50% of break-ins take place while someone’s there, it has been revealed.
CSO figures show more than 3,800 domestic raids occurred during the first three months of the year.
Counties Dublin, Kildare and Wicklow had the highest number of burglaries but these figures plummeted compared to the same period last year.
Marguerite Cotter, of alarm firm Phonewatch, said in the north of the capital there was a 42% decrease.
She added the Covid-19 pandemic has changed people’s attitudes towards protecting their property.
Ms Cotter said: “Our sales are up considerably and I think that’s a sign people are taking a really active interest in the security of their own home.
“And now, people are leaving their homes that little bit more cautiously.
“It does feel a bit strange now that everyone’s going out of the house, realising that it will be empty.”
She urged people to lock their windows and doors when they go out, even if it’s just to the garden.
Ms Cotter said: “When you are at home you have to be vigilant. When we do have nice weather, many of us go out to the garden – and that’s a real opportunity for burglars.”
CHINA has threatened to take action over Britain’s plan to give three million Hong Kong residents the right to settle there if they flee because of tough new security laws.
In an escalation of tensions between London and Beijing, Chinese officials branded the offer a breach of “basic norms of international relations”.
Hong Kong residents have already clashed with police over the rules, which came into force on Tuesday.
It gives the authorities the right to jail those carrying out activities deemed subversive, such as anti-government demonstrators. The Chinese Embassy in the UK said: “We firmly oppose this and reserve the right to take corresponding measures. We urge the British to view objectively the national security legislation for Hong Kong, respect China’s position and concerns, refrain from interfering in Hong Kong affairs in any way.”
Former first secretary in the British Embassy in Beijing Roderic Wye said possible “corresponding measures” would be high profile but without doing “too much damage to their interests”. He added they may also be looking for ways to deter British national overseas (BNO) residents in Hong Kong from applying for the passports to which they are entitled.
He said: “They may also insist the people concerned are Chinese citizens and the BNO passports are not valid travel documents.” British PM Boris Johnson has accused Beijing of a “serious breach” of its treaty with Britain by imposing the laws.
He said he would allow people with BNO status to apply for visas to live and work in the UK.
Downing Street last night stood firm. The PM’S official spokesman said: “We were very clear in the action we would take if China imposed this law. We will now do exactly what we said we would do.” Around 370 people were held on Wednesday in Hong
Chief executive Carrie Lam gives speech
Kong, which was handed back to China by the UK in 1997 and is now led by Carrie Lam. Ten of the arrests involved violations of the new law, police said.
China expert Professor Stephen Chan from SOAS university in London warned Beijing could extradite demonstrators. He said: “It is one thing to face punishment under the law in Hong Kong, it is another to face it in China.”
He also blamed Donald Trump’s “cack-handed” attitude towards China over trade and other issues for Beijing’s heavy-handed behaviour in Hong Kong.
Prof Chan added: “If there had been better diplomacy with China, it would have been softer-handed in terms of its diplomacy towards Hong Kong.”
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