The super-rich homeowners hiring private security because they don’t trust the police
April 2025 - The Telegraph
Wealthy Londoners take matters into their own hands as high-profile burglaries surge.
In December, a thief stole £10.4m worth of jewellery from a house in St John’s Wood, an exclusive, leafy part of north London. In 19 minutes, a man climbed in through a window, cracked a safe and made off with the jewels – all while there were people in the house. It is thought to be one of the biggest ever thefts from a home in the UK.It is also one in a recent surge in high-profile burglaries targeting celebrities and the super wealthy. Organised gangs are tracking victims on social media to gather information and plan raids when owners are away – others operate as lone wolves.
In December 2023, Manchester City’s Jack Grealish was targeted when he was playing a game – thieves made off with jewellery and watches worth £1m. Last October, England cricket captain Ben Stokes’ house was burgled while he was in Pakistan for the Test series. In both instances, their wives and children were at home.
British people are increasingly mistrusting of the police, and confidence in its ability to respond has declined in recent years. In October 2024, 52pc of British adults had “no” or “not very much” confidence in the police to tackle crime locally, according to a YouGov survey, compared to 39pc in October 2019.
Over 45pc of people said they were not confident that the police would appear and properly investigate if they were the victim of a burglary, according to a survey by the Liberal Democrats. There is a perception among many that crime in London is out of control – in 2023-24, there were 266,489 burglaries in England and Wales, according to Statista, a slight decline on the previous year.
Average burglary response times by the police have worsened, increasing by 25pc between 2021-22 and 2022-23, according to figures published by the Liberal Democrats last year via a Freedom of Information request. While some forces in England respond to reports of burglaries within 15 minutes, the countrywide average was nine hours. One force had an average response time of 28 hours – meaning some people could be waiting far longer.
Taking security in their own hands
Among the very wealthy, London homeowners are taking matters into their own hands. Private security is increasingly employed in certain high-profile roads, says Marc Schneiderman of Arlington Residential, an estate agency. “We have recently seen two developments in St John’s Wood and in Marylebone double the number of security porterage on site to allay residents’ concerns.”
York Terrace West, a gated street in Regent’s Park, has a standalone porters’ lodge staffed 24/7. Hannah Aykroyd, of buying agency Aykroyd & Co, believes the first street to adopt this approach was Victoria Road in Kensington. “They had a guard and a guard dog as long as 20 years ago – it made the news at the time. Private security is now pretty common in most affluent postcodes across London.”
Eliza Brunero is 27 and lives with her boyfriend near Ladbroke Grove in west London. A year ago, they received a letter from neighbours on the street announcing they were clubbing together to pay for private security. “A few weeks later, we started to notice a car patrolling the street throughout the night. He drives up and down or stops with the lights on so we know he’s there.”
Brunero sometimes arrives home late from events, working for London Nootropics, a company that makes adaptogenic coffee, where plant-based substances thought to reduce stress are added to the drink. “It’s made an enormous difference to how I feel about coming home at night. We’ve made friends with the various members of the team that patrol the street, they know where we live and, God forbid something should happen, it’s reassuring to know they can help.
“I’ve lived in London all my life and, like most women, have my tactics for walking home after dark such as clutching keys in my hands. Now that concern has gone – it’s really nice.” While Brunero doesn’t pay for the security, My Local Bobby, a security firm, charges residents in neighbouring Notting Hill £150 per month to patrol their streets.
This approach isn’t just limited to cities. Since 2019, BlueLines Security, which employs former police and military personnel, has been operating the “Three Shires Patrol” across about 50 villages in Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire and Northamptonshire.
A spate of burglaries in the small Cambridgeshire town of Kimbolton prompted homeowners to hire the company to patrol the streets at night with dogs and marked cars. Prior to this, the only residential properties the security company had previously patrolled were in London. Due to demand, the area covered has expanded.
One resident who has signed up to the scheme, which costs from £30 a month, recounts how the team apprehended two males in the field behind their house who were equipped to commit burglary. The two were detained until the police turned up – a couple of hours later.
‘Many are worried about their wives being home alone’
Without private security – and with a lack of trust in the police – wealthy homeowners are fearful of being stranded without help, and are installing extra security measures.
Nearly every “house of scale” in the countryside these days has significant security, says Charlie Wells, of Prime Purchase, a buying agency. “International families are very hot on this,” he adds.
“One property I bought for a client in Wiltshire has an entire 400-acre estate surrounded with a steel rope which would require professional cutting equipment to get a vehicle through.” (This is small fry compared to their counterparts in America, however, where one family is building a compound within a moat that can be set on fire.)
Malcolm Stewart is an ex-Army officer who runs Kensington Security Doors & Windows. He’s noticed a shift in conversations with clients over the past few years, particularly among male country-house owners. “Many are worried about leaving their wives at home alone in the countryside these days,” he says. “The problem is that a lot of people have made a lot of money recently and that hasn’t gone unnoticed. It’s not enough to keep a low profile by driving Volvos, as one client mooted to me recently. “With newspapers publishing rich lists, it doesn’t take a rocket scientist criminal to find houses owned by the very wealthy.”
Those who are not super-rich, but still feel like a target are making changes too. Ride-on lawnmowers, quad bikes and farm machinery are a common target. Beyond CCTV and motion lights, protective measures include having steel bars across the inside of barn doors with a smaller security door for everyday use. “Bollards outside the main barn doors will prevent transit vans from ramming them while some clients will add roller shutters, particularly if they’ve been done over once or twice already,” adds Stewart.
A concerned owner, who didn’t wish to be named, lives in a four-bedroom house in Haslemere in Surrey. She’s spotted an increase in break-ins in the area, specifically targeting outbuildings and sheds, with bikes, garden and sports equipment, golf clubs being taken. Anecdotally, she adds, those who have reported such incidents have found that the police have little appetite or resources for investigating.
“With this in mind, we have installed CCTV on our barn and shed with signage flagging the fact. I hope it will be a deterrent and make potential burglars think twice before targeting us,” she explains. “We’ve also significantly improved our lighting – outdoor sensor lights in the driveway and garden which provide automatic illumination when detecting motion. These have all improved our peace of mind and taken the pressure off the Labrador, our previous source of security.”
How to beef up security at home:
When it comes to the house itself, the aim is to create as many deterrents as possible to buy the time necessary for the police to arrive. “In the UK, we rarely provide anti-ballistic or blast-rated products [to protect against the use of firearms or explosives] in residential projects, whereas in some countries these precautions are almost standard,” says Stewart. “The common denominator with security is that everyone who has a nice home wants to feel safe. Feeling safe is relative to risk, so in some parts of the world that requires having anti-ballistic doors, a walled compound, and armed guards.”
To effectively protect your home from burglary, focus on securing entry points, deterring potential thieves, and maintaining a visible and secure appearance. Secure your doors and windows with robust locks, consider adding a burglar alarm, and install exterior lighting, particularly motion-activated lights. Keeping your property tidy and well-maintained also makes it less appealing to burglars.
1. Secure entry points
Doors: Use strong, secure doors and key fobs. Double or deadlocking doors can significantly increase security.
Windows: Choose burglar-proof windows and ensure they are properly locked, even when you’re at home.
Gates: Secure side gates and ensure they are locked at all times
2. Deterrence and visibility
Lighting: Install exterior lights, especially motion-activated lights, to deter burglars. Consider having lights on a timer indoors while you’re away.
Gardens: Keep your garden tidy, and consider planting thorny or dense shrubs to create a natural barrier. Avoid creating hiding places with large shrubs or structures.
Alarms: Install a burglar alarm system with audible alarm boxes, especially at the front and rear of your home, says Police.uk
3. Maintaining a secure appearance
Tidiness: A tidy and well-maintained home can discourage burglars. Keep your front door and windows clear and tidy, and consider having a dog bowl or lead visible.
Visibility: Keep your home well-lit and clear of obstructions that could provide cover for burglars.
Valuables: Keep valuables out of sight, especially those displayed in windows.
4. Additional security tips
Keys: Store keys in a secure place, away from doors or windows.
Smart home security: Consider investing in smart home security systems for added protection.
Neighbourly watch: Ask a neighbour to keep an eye on your home when you’re away and to collect any mail or deliveries.
Security cameras: Install security cameras, including those that can be accessed remotely, reports Victoria Police.
Distraction burglary: Be aware of and avoid becoming a victim of distraction burglaries, where burglars use a distraction to gain entry, warns Crimestoppers. Marking valuables: Mark valuables with a UV or indelible pen to deter theft and aid in recovery if stolen, says Crimerate.
In the UK, it’s rare for anyone to go to such lengths, although Mark Breffit of the Private Office at Hamptons, has noted a growing trend towards “secure floors” among international owners in London. “It means entire levels of a home that can be instantly locked down with bullet-proof doors, making it entirely impenetrable. It’s a more spacious and practical alternative to the traditional basement panic room.”
A typical job for Stewart includes installing one or two security doors on the main house. These are reinforced with metal. A further option is to have security sash windows installed, which look the part but have steel-reinforced locks and are made with strong glass. Vibration sensors, often called vipers, are placed on windows and go off when someone has breached the perimeter at night.Increasing security on houses that have heritage or conservation status is challenging. When you must abide by the local planning rules about types of windows, some judicious gardening comes into play. So-called “security planting” means having thorny, hardy plants like pyracantha, barberry, and blackthorn strategically placed under windows.
“It’s about making use of natural defences,” explains James Bore of Bores, a technology and security consultancy firm. “These act as a second barrier– without breaking any of the rules around listed buildings.”
The Metropolitan Police itself even advises homeowners to secure their homes by keeping hedges and fences over 1.8m high and by installing “prickly” plants.
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