Withdrawing money from an ATM is a fast and convenient way to access your money but it is always wise to adopt a safety-conscious approach when making any kind of cash withdrawal.

Ideally, you should use ATM's that are located indoors - like at a bank or supermarket. Try to use ones located in well-lit and busy areas, particularly after nightfall.

Inspect the ATM before using it - look for false fronts over the card slot (pull on it to make sure), look to see if anything looks out-of-place or stuck on. Thieves can use cameras and devices to read your PIN number.

If you suspect the ATM is tampered with, immediately tell the Bank - this will help prevent others from becoming a victim.

Another option is to use a contactless payment method instead of using cash - things like tap & pay, Android Pay, Apple Pay or Samsung Pay.

While the contactless card limit is £30, you can now make payments over £30 using your mobile phone, providing your bank and the merchant in question authorities them. It is safer than carrying cash and quicker than Chip and PIN.

When you go to bed at night, or if you are leaving your home you want to make sure that you check a few simple things to make your home as secure as possible.

Keys

Do not leave any of your keys in an accessible place or hanging on show or within easy reach of the front door. Whilst it can be convenient, please don't leave keys in doors or windows.

Holidays

When leaving the property to go on holiday, use timers on lights and radios to create an impression that someone is still in the property.

Maybe ask a neighbour, friend or family member to make occasional visits to your property or park a vehicle in your driveway.

Cancel any newspapers or milk deliveries.

Use the Royal Mail's keepsafe service - they can keep your mail from 17 to 66 days while you are away because mail piling up on your doorstep is a sign that you are away. This service costs between £14.00 and £45.30 depending on the length of time you require.

Avoid discussing holiday plans on public social networking sites - remember that burglars can use any information you post on there to their advantage.

Garden Planting

The Metropolitan Police published a list of 30 plants that can help homeowners protect their gardens and homes from thieves.

One of the best ways to keep thieves out is to use nature's own defence mechanisms to stop intruders.

In Adambrae a barrier of prickly or dense plants may be a great added protection at the side or back of your property.

The police also advise that planting aggressive shrubbery underneath windows can help prevent easy access.

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  Creeping Juniper

  Juniperis horizontalis 'Wiltonii'

  Also known as 'Blue Rug' because it has long branches and its prostrate shape forms a flattened blue carpet. It has a thorny stem and foliage.

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  Blue Spruce

  Picea pungens 'Globosa'

  Rigid branches, irregular dense blue, spiky needles. Height 1-1.25m x 75cm - 1 m. Slow growing. Moist rich soil.

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  Common Holly

  Ilex agulfolium

  Large evergreen shrub, dark green spiked leaves. Large red berries on female plants only. Any well-drained soil. Plant with garden compost and bone-meal.

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  Giant Rhubarb

  Gunnera manicata

  Giant rhubarb-like leaves on erect stems, abrasive foliage. Can grow up to 2.5m high. Plant by water-side for effect.

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  Golden Bamboo

  Phyllostachys aurea

  Very graceful, forming thick clumps of up to 3.5m high. Less invasive than other bamboos. Hardy. Young shoots in spring.

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  Chinese Jujube

  Zizyphus sativa

  Medium sized tree with very spiny pendulous branches. Leaves glossy bright green. Bears clusters of small yellow flowers.

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  Firethorn

  Pyracantha 'Orange Glow'

  Flowers white in June, with bright orange-red berries. Thorny stem. Height 10-15ft. Suitable for north or east-facing wall or as impenetrable hedging.

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  Shrub Rose

  Rosa 'Frau Dagmar Hastrup'

  Excellent ground cover, pale pink flowers, very thorny stem. May to September. Plant with garden compost and bone-meal.

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  Pencil Christmas Tree

  Picea abias 'Cupressina'

  Medium-sized tree of columnar habit, with ascending spiky branches. Attractive form with dense growth. Avoid dry chalky soils.

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  Juniper

  Juniperus x media 'Old Gold'

  Evergreen. Golden-tipped foliage. Prickly foliage. Height 2ft. Spread 6ft. Low growing. Excellent ground cover.

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  Purple Berberis

  Berberis thunbergil 'Atropurpurea'

  Rich purple foliage. Thorny stem. Medium-sized deciduous. Any soil sunny position.

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  Mountain Pine

  Pinus mugo 'Mughus'

  A very hardy, large shrub or small tree, with long sharp needles, of dense, bushy habit. Leaves in pairs, 3 - 4cm long, rigid and curved, dark green, cone.

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  Blue Pine

  Picea pungens 'Hoopsii'

  Small to medium-sized tree, spiky needled stem, densely conical habit, with vividly glaucous blue leaves. Likes moist, rich soil.

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  Oleaster

  Elaeagnus angustifolia

  Small deciduous tree, about 4.5 to 6 m (15 to 20 feet) high. Smooth, dark brown branches that often bear spines and narrow, light green leaves that are silvery on the undersides. The flowers are small, greenish, fragrant, and silvery-scaled on the outside, as are the edible, olive-shaped, yellowish fruits, which are sweet but mealy. Hardy, wind resistant, tolerant of poor, dry sites, and thus useful in windbreak hedges.

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  Blackthorn

  Prunus spinosa

  Also called Sloe; spiny shrub. Usually grows less than 3.6 metres (12 feet) tall and has numerous, small leaves. Its dense growth makes it suitable for hedges. White flowers. Bluish-black fruit is used to flavour sloe gin.

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  Fuschia-flowered Gooseberry

  Ribes speciosum

  Fruit bush, spiny, produces greenish to greenish-pink flowers in clusters of two or three. Extremely hardy, thrive in moist, heavy clay soil in cool, humid climate.

The following thorny plants may also be considered: Aralia, Chaenomeles, Colletia, Crataegus (including hawthorn/may), Hippophae (sea buckthorn), Maclura, Mahonia, Oplopanax, Osmanthus, Poncirus, Rhamnus, Rosa (climbing & shrub roses), Rubus (bramble), Smilax Prickly ash (Zanthoxylum).

Distraction burglary is where the offenders trick or dupe the occupant or distract them, allowing themselves or another person they are working with to gain access to the property and commit burglary.

The elderly are particularly vulnerable to distraction burglary.

If the caller does not have any identification, do not let them in.

If you receive a caller who you are suspicious of then please contact the Police and also let us know so we can put out an alert.

Put up a deterrent sign

You could put a "no cold callers" sign up on your door or window, which should help deter any cold callers from knocking on your door.

You can download a free sign (PDF 236 kB) from Action Fraud.

Password protected

You can set up a password with your utility companies so you know that they are genuine if they send someone round.

Phone your utility company to find out how to do this.

Door Spy Holes, also known as Peep Holes can give you peace of mind by allowing you to identify callers before you open the door.

They can easily fit most front doors and are a low-cost security item coming in at under £10.

It is best to have one with a small cover that you have to rotate out of the way in order to look out as there are special reverse tools that enables someone to look into your home.

Door Chains will quickly and easily add extra security to your home and at a low cost.

However, one of the drawbacks of the door chain or limiter is that some people can treat it like a door lock. In other words, they think it should be on all the time and then take it off when they answer the door.

The majority of them are fixed to the door and the doorframe with a few screws - these are normally quite short so please use the longest and strongest screws you can.

Door Guards (sometimes described as a door restrictor) are a similar product, but offer significantly more strength than most chains and tend to be easier to use, especially for the elderly or those with reduced vision or hand dexterity.