Leave upstairs window open and the radio on... ex-con's tips on how best to beat burlgars

AN ex-professional thief who claims to have broken into 20,000 homes has revealed his top tips for burglar-proofing during the holidays.

- By Isobel Williams

Darryl Kennedy, 62, started breaking and entering aged just nine with his father and has been jailed four times.

But now the dad-of-three volunteers for the police and at universities to help people to protect their homes.

Darryl said: "Summer has always been a time for break-ins.

"People leave their patio doors open and windows open in the heat.

"Opportunists will go around, especially in the hot weather, knowing that people nip out of the house and forget to shut their back doors."

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