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IN a world where a person’s home is their castle, the CSO confirms that there were more than 19,000 recorded incidents of burglary and related offences in Ireland during 2017, an increase of more than 600 on the previous year. With a majority of victims declaring that their home felt ‘tainted’ or ‘spoiled’ after a break-in, it is one of the most insidious crimes in Ireland today.

Data from the Garda Analysis Service shows that one third of all burglaries take place through the front doors – with most burglars using their own body to gain entry. Other key findings include:

■ Burglars commonly target back doors (26%), back windows (24%) and front windows (8%), with one in five cases involving a burglar getting access through an unsecured door or window.

■ Jewellery and cash remain the most common objects stolen, with €600 being the average value of goods taken.

■ Computers, mobile phones, TVs and games consoles are also among the top items stolen.

■ Nearly half of burglaries (46%) occur between 5pm and 11pm.

■ The practice of ‘fishing’, where car keys are fished through a letterbox by burglars, also remains a problem, with the Dublin region most at risk.

With the number of burglaries tending to rise during the winter months, now is the ideal time to take stock and review your home security arrangements and take some simple steps towards better protecting your home.

It will be time well spent.