To beat the burglar, you must think like the burglar, warns top garda

High gates and walls, along with large trees, attract burglars rather than acting as a deterrent, Garda experts have warned.

Householders are better off having low front walls and should avoid erecting any screenings that could provide cover to criminals.

“To beat the burglar, you’ve got to think like him,” said Sgt Aidan Donnelly of the National Crime Prevention Unit, at the launch of an awareness campaign. “You should start on the perimeter, on the road like the burglar, and work your way in.”