Ways to protect your possessions

Mark your property as yours - property can be marked in a number of ways:

If the item's appearance is not important, it is a good idea to overtly mark property with a marker pen, stating your house number and post code.
UV (Ultra Violet) security marker pens, which leave a mark that is not visible to the naked eye, are a cost effective way. These pens are available from good stationery stores at a reasonable cost.
There is also property-marking liquids available, such as SmartWater or EnigmaTag, which offer a hi-tech way of linking your property to your address.
Always take specialist advice before marking expensive or irreplaceable items.
You can also register your property for free on the online property database Immobilise. That way, if your property is lost or stolen, you have more chance of having it returned to you.
Keep valuables – like MP3 players, iPod's, laptops and mobile phones - out of sight of passers-by. It is a good idea to install tracking software on mobile devices.
Take photos and keep a list of all valuable property in a safe place, including make, model description and value.
Try not to keep important or very valuable property at home. Items such as house deeds should be placed with a bank. Remember, burglars will look through drawers and under mattresses.
A safe which has been securely fixed to a solid wall and/or floor reduces the likelihood of important documents, valuables and sentimental items being stolen.