Dear South Leicester Resident,

You are receiving this message as a resident on the South Leicester neighbourhood policing area. Today we wanted to highlight the issue of ‘Lock Snapping’

What is Lock Snapping?

Lock Snapping is a technique used by intruders to break into Conservatory, uPVC, Composite and French Doors that use a euro cylinder lock. This type of attack exploits the fact that a double cylinder lock is weak at the centre of the cylinder. Euro cylinders can be easily replaced by a Locksmith and changing the cylinder is an easy way to prevent a lock snapping attack.

With the right tools an intruder could snap your lock and gain access to your property in under 2 minutes.

Lock snapping is a real threat that can be easily avoided by installing the right type of lock in your premises. When choosing a lock you should ensure its snap-resistant (Anti-Snap) and you should always look out for the British Kitemark.

How would an Intruder use a Lock Snapping technique

The intruder would remove the outer casing on the door lock to gain access to the euro cylinder. They would then use a tool to cover the protruding barrel and apply force to break the cylinder in half. Once the cylinder has been broken the intruder would be able to manipulate the lock and quickly unlock the door. You may think that all the multi locking points on your door make it secure but this is a common misconception. The locking points are operated by the cylinder, which is the weakest part of the lock. If it is compromised all the locking points are rendered useless and the burglar can stealthily break into your premises.

What are Anti-Snap locks?

Lock manufacturers have developed higher security anti-snap cylinders to overcome the risk of lock snapping. These security cylinders feature anti-snap lines so if force is applied to either end of the cylinder the intruder will break the lock at the anti-snap line and not at the centre of the cylinder. This leaves the locking mechanism intact and will prevent the intruder from breaking the lock.

Are my locks are Anti-Snap?

The only way to be certain that you have anti-snap locks installed is to take take the lock out of the door and look for snap lines (as indicated above). Some people will say that locks are anti-snap if the BS kitemark is shown on the cylinder, whilst this can be true it’s not a 100% guarantee. A trained locksmith will measure your door and order a cylinder that is the right size to fit your specific door. This will ensure the cylinder doesn’t stick out of the door casing – this will prevent an intruder from using a tool to try and snap your lock in the first place.

Kind regards,