As Summertime draws to a close and the clocks go back at 2am Sunday 25th October statistics show that crime increases particularly with burglary dwellings by 30%.

Simple tips to deter intruders include giving the impression that your house is occupied can be valuable.

The first step to protecting a property from the outside when darkness falls, is ensuring that sufficient security lighting is in place.

Dusk to dawn lights are a great security option as they have built-in photocells that automatically trigger and switch on once ambient light falls below a certain level. Having a radio come on and setting the lights to come on at random also helps.

As well as creating the illusion that a property is occupied at all times, some dusk to dawn lights also have built in motion sensors (PIR lights) and will detect movement from up to 10 meters away.

They are best positioned in dark corners, sheds, garages, and outbuildings and can be an extremely effective burglar deterrent. These types of lights are also incredibly energy efficient, as they only turn on when triggered by movement, and remain off the rest of the time.

For extra peace of mind, property owners should also consider a PIR camera The ultimate in home security technology, these lights feature a motorised lamp that detects and follows movement, to give a sense of being watched, and can record video or capture still images.

What's more, the light will stay lit for 3 minutes after no further movement is detected, and a battery back-up preserves settings for added peace of mind.

Finally sign up to your local Neighbourhood Watch Scheme or if you don't have one then let your neighbours know if your late coming home or away so that they can be alert to any unusual activity or suspicious persons.

If you can afford to buy extra surveillance consider then the latest door bell activated cameras that notify your mobile phone of unwanted visitors.

Coun Ray Wootten is a former policeman and a member of both South Kesteven District and Lincolnshire County Councils.

With grateful thanks to Lycos.co.uk