The government has allocated £5m to make more than 45,000 homes more secure.

The money will be used to pay for local handy-people to visit homes in 93 priority areas. The areas were chosen because they have higher numbers of people who are less likely to have good home security; for example, older people, people on low incomes and students. The money will enable people to install security devices such as window locks.

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The cash, which comes from the safer homes fund, has been awarded so far to 66 voluntary and community projects, who bid for the grants. These groups will use the money to pay for handy-people to install security devices, raise awareness in the community and run security checks of homes that are considered at risk.

Home Office Minister Alan Campbell said: "Preventing burglary can be as simple as locking your doors and windows, yet 18% of people don’t have proper door locks and 14% don't have window locks. These grants will help make the homes of thousands of people more secure and show them the simple steps they can take to protect themselves."

The safer homes fund was set up in April this year, with an allocated budget of £6m. There is still more than £1m left in the fund, which would be used to secure up to a further 15,000 homes.

(CD/JM)