Guide
What to Do After a Burglary: The First Hours, Days and Weeks Ahead
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The First Hour: Start Here
It all starts with whether the person responsible might still be indoors. If that is possible, you need 999; if they have plainly gone and the house is empty, you need 101 or the online report instead. Choosing correctly is the first thing that protects you, the police investigation and any later insurance claim. The five-line list underneath covers everything else in the first hour.
When You Think Someone Is Still Inside
Stay out and dial 999. Do not search the rooms, call out or try to see who it is.
The House Empty, the Burglar Gone
Report it on 101 or online, and write down the crime reference number. It helps to know which rooms were entered and what is obviously missing before you call.
What Not to Do, Before the Police Have Been
Leave the way they came in, and any items they clearly picked up, as you found them. Photographs before anything moves.
What to do in the first hour
- Call the police straight away on 999 or 101.
- Avoid walking through rooms that have been disturbed.
- Write a short list of what has visibly gone.
- Report stolen debit or credit cards to the bank.
- Once police release the house, make it secure.
What You Can Use as Normal, and What the Police Need You to Leave Alone
You can switch the lights on and use door handles normally, keeping clear of the entry point. Police guidance on forensic evidence says so plainly, and it holds whether or not a crime scene investigator has been arranged. Leave the entry point untouched until police allow work; where possible, also avoid touching or cleaning fluids such as blood, footprints, or anything the offender handled. The rest of the house is yours to use tonight.
| Fine to use | Leave untouched until police give permission |
|---|---|
| Switches for lights and sockets | Where they got in: door, pane or frame |
| Handles on internal and external doors away from the entry point | Shoe prints on floors, sills or paper |
| The kitchen and the bathroom | Blood or other fluids |
| Beds, sofas, rooms that were not entered | Things the burglar picked up or emptied |
What You Can Touch, and Use as Normal
A switch or handle that everyone in the house touches is of little forensic value. The surfaces that matter are the ones the intruder touched and you do not.
Until the Police Have Finished, What to Leave Untouched
Leave the entry point, any marks on the ground or on surfaces, and anything clearly handled. If you are unsure whether something was touched, leave it and mention it when the police come.
If You Have To, How to Move Things Safely
Take a photograph of it in place before anything else. Only after police allow movement at the entry point, put on gloves for smooth surfaces, listed in police guidance as plastic, metal, glass and treated wood. A phone camera and household gloves are all you need.
Is It Possible to Repair the Door Before the Insurer Has Seen It?
Photographs alone do not mean you can repair the door now; wait for police permission. Once work is allowed, photograph the damage before anyone begins repairs to secure the home. As for paying for it, the Association of British Insurers states in its theft guidance that "Your insurance policy will usually cover you for any emergency repairs you make following an incident." It says usually for a reason; check your own cover, as it varies by policy. A separate page explains how to board up a damaged door or window.
Three steps, in order 1. Photograph the door, lock and frame. 2. Make it secure after police say work can begin. 3. Keep receipts and any removed parts.
Photograph the Damage Before Anything Gets Repaired
Photograph from a distance so the location is obvious, then close up on the lock, the frame and any marks. Do it before anyone starts work and again afterwards.
What Your Policy Usually Covers for Emergency Repairs
Generally, work needed to make the property secure and weathertight: boarding, a replacement lock, a window made to close. Home emergency cover, where you have it, may have its own helpline and preferred contractor, so call first and ask what your policy needs from you.
Keep the Paperwork Your Insurer Will Ask For
Gather the crime reference number, photographs, receipts and a record of conversations, with names and dates. Keep any damaged lock in a bag; it is physical evidence of the forced entry.
Getting Your Crime Reference Number and Reporting the Burglary
Your insurer will want one thing before it looks at anything else: the crime reference number. Without it, a burglary claim usually cannot move, which makes the number the single most important result of reporting. Write it down the moment you are given it, along with the date, and keep it with your policy documents. Neighbourhood Watch makes the same point, advising householders to note the police crime number for insurance.
Which Route Applies: 999, 101 or Online
There are three routes. Ring 999 if the burglary is in progress or the person responsible is still there. Otherwise, ring 101, or use the online crime report, which goes to the same control room and is dealt with the same way as a phone call. A police station front counter is a further option where one is open.
What Happens Once You Report It
Not every burglary is investigated in the same depth, and the police are open about how they decide. They consider how vulnerable the victim is, how serious the crime is, how likely it is to be solved and where their resources are best used. You will be contacted either way: to explain why if they cannot investigate, or with the name of an investigating officer who will keep you informed if they can.
What to Gather and What to Expect for Your Insurance Claim
A burglary claim rests on the crime reference number, a list of what was stolen and proof of what it was worth. The process is mostly paperwork, so the effort you put into the list is the effort that pays. Damage to doors and windows may come under buildings insurance, and possessions under contents insurance; your schedule shows which, along with any excess.
Build the List of What Was Taken
Be methodical: one room, then the next. Record make, model, approximate age and serial numbers, plus any distinguishing marks. Search for receipts and order confirmations online, and look through photographs taken in the house that show items in the background. A list that grows over a fortnight is normal, and an insurer would rather receive additions than a rewritten claim.
What Is a Loss Adjuster Looking For?
Insurers sometimes appoint a loss adjuster to assess larger claims. Their questions are about evidence: was the theft reported, how was entry gained, what was taken and can ownership be shown. Some policies include security conditions about locks on external doors and windows, and an adjuster may ask what was fitted. Requirements vary by insurer, door type and policy.
Criminal Injuries Scheme Compensation: What It Does and Does Not Cover
It covers injury, not property. If no one was home, the claim belongs with your insurer. If someone present was injured, they may be eligible, as long as the crime was reported to the police first. GOV.UK has the rules.
Making Sure Your Home Is Secure Again
A door and window that lock properly tonight, and keys you can account for, one by one: that is what securing the house means. In practice there are two jobs. The first is repairing what was damaged. The second is restoring control of the keys, and it is the one most likely to be missed, because once the door closes it feels finished. For the repair side, read about burglary damage repairs.
Why the Damaged Door Matters Less Than Changing the Locks
Even a perfect repair leaves the old cylinder in place, and the old cylinder still opens for any key that walked out of the house. On a uPVC or composite door, the euro cylinder can usually be swapped by itself. There is more on how to.
Missing Spare Keys and Who Else Holds One
List each external door, the keys for it and the person holding each. Try to see every one today. If one is unaccounted for, treat it as gone. That applies even when nothing of value was taken.
Telling Your Landlord or Housing Provider If You Rent
If you rent, tell your landlord or housing provider once you have reported to the police; tenancy agreements usually require prompt reporting of damage. Doors, windows and locks are normally theirs to repair, and your contents insurance is yours. Agree any lock change before it happens.
Under the Victims' Code: Your Rights as a Victim
The Victims' Code is the name for twelve rights given to everyone who reports a crime in England and Wales. Report a burglary, and from that moment they apply to you. Victim Support has a straightforward summary of them. This section does not repeat all twelve; it takes the ones that bear on a burglary and explains how each one helps, so you know what you can reasonably ask for.
Which Rights Matter Most Right Now
| Your right | How it helps |
|---|---|
| To have the crime recorded without unjustified delay | Use it if a report is stalling |
| To information when reporting | Gets you the reference number and next steps |
| To be referred to support services | Opens the door to tailored help |
| To information about the investigation | Entitles you to updates |
| To make a complaint | Applies if any right is not met |
Where the police decide not to proceed, the Victims' Right to Review scheme can apply to some of those decisions.
Referred to Victim Support: How
Being referred is a right, so asking is never an imposition. The police can do it, or you can self-refer. There is no charge, and the charity operates separately from the police. It provides emotional support and practical help, such as with insurance forms and, in some areas, with securing your home. Contact details are kept current on its website.
The Weeks After: Feeling Settled at Home Again
Once the claim is filed and the door works, the practical side is over, yet the house may not feel quite normal for a while. That is ordinary. It does not mean anything is wrong, and there is no expected way to feel or length of time it should take. What follows is simply what is available, and a few practical things that can help home feel settled again.
Available Support, and How to Get It
Victim Support helps people after burglaries of every kind, whether or not anyone was hurt and whatever was taken. It can include everyone in the household, including children who were out at the time. Calling with a practical request, such as help completing an insurance form, is entirely legitimate. Independent Age supports older people, and your GP is another route.
Practical Changes That Help a House Feel Settled
Keep this to doors, windows and keys, the things that are part of every day. - A forced lock, even repaired, can be replaced with a new one. - Each external door and window lock can be checked to confirm it works. - Keys can be gathered back to a set you can account for.
Nothing on this list has a deadline. If you want the technical background, read which door locks meet insurance requirements and anti-snap cylinders.
In Bournemouth, Getting Your Home Secure
HD Locksmiths Bournemouth handles the security work that follows a burglary in Bournemouth: boarding a door or window that was damaged, repairing or replacing a forced lock, and fitting new cylinders where you cannot account for every key. The line is staffed 24 hours a day on every day of the year, nights, weekends and bank holidays included. The engineers sent out are DBS-checked. You pay for the work carried out, any parts needed, and VAT. Rates outside Monday to Friday, 7am to 6pm, are higher, but the call-out itself is never charged.
Call 01202 935089
Details of an emergency locksmith call-out are on the service page; to discuss your own door, talk to a Bournemouth locksmith.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I have to report a burglary to the police?
Usually, yes, if you want to make an insurance claim. Proof that the theft was reported often matters to insurers. They commonly ask early on for the crime reference number, and a police report may be needed to support what you are claiming.
Can I clean up after a burglary?
Tidying the entry point must wait until police say you may start. Leave that door or window and its handle alone meanwhile. When it is safe to enter, ordinary use of the other rooms and their lights can continue.
Should I change my locks after a burglary?
Yes, where there is uncertainty about the whereabouts of a key. A repaired door can still be unlocked with a taken key if the original cylinder remains fitted. Door repairs alone do not address that access, so have a qualified locksmith change the affected lock.
Will my insurance pay for the emergency door repair?
Cover for an emergency door repair is usual, according to the Association of British Insurers. Whether your claim qualifies depends on the particular policy. The company providing the insurance and your chosen level of cover also make a difference, so check those details for your own answer.
How do I find someone trustworthy to make the house secure?
Find a business willing to explain its charges when you ring. Clear information about out-of-hours work matters too. Before the job starts, any departure from the amount discussed should be brought to your attention, so the charging arrangements are clear when you choose a locksmith.
Can I claim criminal injuries compensation for stolen property?
No, this compensation route is not available for stolen possessions. Criminal injuries compensation does not provide a way to claim for property lost through theft. If it is the missing belongings you want to claim for, they are not covered under that scheme.
I rent my home. Who pays for the broken door and lock?
Your landlord normally handles the broken external door and lock. For your possessions, the relevant cover is contents insurance. Windows also sit within the landlord's usual responsibility, alongside outside doors and their locks, so the damage and any loss of belongings are separate matters.
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