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A group gathering outside someone’s house to press them to change their behaviour is a home-security problem that no lock or camera solves. English and Welsh law gives police specific powers for it, in sections 42 and 42A of the Criminal Justice and Police Act 2001. Section 169 of the Crime and Policing Act 2026 widened both from 29 June 2026, and section 162 created a separate offence for protests outside the homes of public office-holders. This article summarises those provisions on legislation.gov.uk, including commencement regulations S.I. 2026/689. It is general information, not legal advice, and covers England and Wales.

Police directions under section 42

Section 42 allows a constable at the scene to give a direction to a person who is present outside or near premises used as someone’s dwelling. The constable must believe, on reasonable grounds, that the person is there to represent to the resident, or persuade them, of certain things, and that the person’s presence, alone or with others, amounts to or is likely to result in harassment of the resident or is likely to cause the resident alarm or distress. A dwelling takes the meaning in the Public Order Act 1986: any structure or part of a structure occupied as a home or other living accommodation, which includes a tent, caravan, vehicle or vessel.

A direction can require the person to take any steps the constable considers necessary to prevent the harassment or alarm. It can require leaving the vicinity immediately or after a period, and not returning for up to 3 months. The constable can make exceptions subject to conditions, such as a distance or a limit on the number of people allowed to remain. It can be given orally to individuals or to a group. A constable cannot give a direction when a more senior officer is at the scene, and the section does not allow a direction to stop conduct that is lawful peaceful picketing of a workplace under section 220 of the Trade Union and Labour Relations (Consolidation) Act 1992.

The offences that follow

Knowingly failing to comply with a direction, other than the requirement not to return, carries up to 3 months’ imprisonment or a fine up to level 4, or both. Returning to the vicinity within the period set in the direction, for the same purpose, carries up to 51 weeks or a level 4 fine, or both. Section 42A separately makes it an offence to be present outside a dwelling for the purpose of representing to or persuading the resident, intending the presence to amount to harassment or to cause alarm or distress, or knowing or ought to know that it is likely to do so. The effect must be harassment, alarm or distress, or the likelihood of it, to the resident, a person inside the dwelling or a person in another dwelling nearby. The maximum penalty is 51 weeks or a fine up to level 4, or both.

What section 169 changed

Before 29 June 2026, both sections applied where the person was there to persuade the resident that they should not do something they were entitled or required to do, or should do something they were not obliged to do. Section 169 of the 2026 Act adds two further purposes: persuading the resident that they should not have done something they were entitled or required to do, and that they should have done something they were not under any obligation to do. The additions extend both provisions to persuasion about things the resident has already done. The Act’s commencement regulations brought section 169 into force on 29 June 2026.

Protests outside the homes of public office-holders

Section 162 creates an offence of carrying on a protest, alone or with others, outside or in the vicinity of premises used as a dwelling by a public office-holder, for the purpose of persuading them that they should or should not do something or should or should not have done something, and because they are a public office-holder. It does not apply to official residences, which the section lists, including 10, 11 and 12 Downing Street and Chequers. It is a defence to show the defendant did not know the premises were used as the office-holder’s dwelling. The maximum penalty is the maximum term for summary offences or a fine up to level 4, or both.

The list of public office-holders covers ministers, members of the House of Lords and House of Commons, members of the Senedd, members of local authorities including parish and community councils, elected mayors, the Mayor of London and London Assembly members, police and crime commissioners and candidates at elections for most of those offices. Section 162 also came into force on 29 June 2026.

Practical points for households

The powers depend on a police officer judging the circumstances, so a householder facing a gathering outside their home needs the police involved. GOV.UK says to call 999 if a crime is in progress or someone is in danger and otherwise to use 101 or online reporting. Evidence can matter in later proceedings; the guide to stalking protection orders deals with a related situation, and the Victims’ Code guide explains what a victim of crime is entitled to expect. Recording on a home camera raises its own legal issues, covered in the guide to home CCTV and data protection.

The bottom line

Police in England and Wales can direct people outside a home to leave and stay away for up to 3 months where their presence amounts to harassment or is likely to cause alarm or distress, and being there with that intent is an offence under section 42A of the Criminal Justice and Police Act 2001. From 29 June 2026, both cover campaigns about what a resident has already done, and a separate offence protects the homes of public office-holders. The provisions do not cover lawful peaceful picketing of a workplace.

Sources

• Criminal Justice and Police Act 2001, sections 42 and 42A (legislation.gov.uk)
• Crime and Policing Act 2026, sections 162 and 169 (legislation.gov.uk)
• The Crime and Policing Act 2026 (Commencement No.1 and Saving Provision) Regulations 2026, S.I. 2026/689 (legislation.gov.uk)
• Public Order Act 1986, section 8 (legislation.gov.uk)
• Report a crime (gov.uk)

Households that have lived with repeated noise, intimidation or damage near their home have a set of formal tools, from community protection notices to closure orders. The Crime and Policing Act 2026 changes several of them in England and Wales. This article summarises Part 1 of the Act on legislation.gov.uk and the Home Office’s anti-social behaviour (ASB) factsheet. Most of the changes described below were shown as prospective on legislation.gov.uk when this was written, meaning they are not yet in force and wait for commencement regulations, with the exception noted in the final section. It is general information, not legal advice.

Respect orders

Section 1 inserts a new Part A1 into the Anti-social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act 2014 creating respect orders. A court may make one against a person aged 18 or over if it is satisfied, on the balance of probabilities, that the person has engaged in or threatens to engage in anti-social behaviour and it considers the order just and convenient to prevent that behaviour. The Act defines anti-social behaviour as conduct that has caused, or is likely to cause, harassment, alarm or distress to any person. An order can prohibit the respondent from doing something and can require them to do something, for a specified period or until further order.

Only a relevant authority can apply. The list includes a local authority, a housing provider, the chief officer of police, British Transport Police and the Environment Agency, and an application goes to the High Court or the county court. A housing provider may apply only where the behaviour relates to or affects its housing management functions. An order can exclude someone from their normal home only if the application comes from a local authority, the police or the housing provider that owns or manages the premises, and the court considers the behaviour includes violence or threatened violence or that there is a significant risk of harm. The Home Office factsheet says breach of a respect order will be a criminal offence, so police can arrest for suspected breaches.

Closure notices and dispersal

Section 3 amends the 2014 Act so that a dispersal direction excluding a person from an area can last up to 72 hours instead of 48, with a review by an inspector after the first 48 hours when the exclusion period exceeds that. The Act also extends the timings for closure notices and applications. The Home Office factsheet explains the aim: allowing directions to cover weekends and bank holidays and giving agencies more time to apply for a closure order, which protects victims and communities in the interim.

Section 5 and Schedule 2 let registered social housing providers close premises they own or manage that are associated with nuisance and disorder. The factsheet says at present only local authorities and the police can issue closure notices, even though housing providers are often the first to know about the problem. The Act also gives the Home Secretary a power to change the maximum duration of closure orders, after consulting.

Higher penalties for breaching notices

Section 4 raises the upper limit on a fixed penalty notice for failing to comply with a community protection notice, or for an offence connected with a public spaces protection order, from £100 to £500. It also requires the Secretary of State to issue guidance on the use of fixed penalty notices within 6 months of the Act being passed. The factsheet says the increase is intended to provide a stronger deterrent, and that the guidance will address proportionate use for low-level incidents and make clear that private firms used as contractors should not receive greater revenue just from increasing the number of penalties.

Reviews when agencies do not act

Section 6 adds a second level of review to the ASB case review, known as the Community Trigger, which is explained in the guide to repeated anti-social behaviour. New section 104A provides that if the relevant bodies in an area decided that the threshold for a case review was not met, or carried out a review, the applicant can apply to the local policing body for a further review. The body must carry out the review if it considers the threshold was met. It may make recommendations to anyone exercising public functions, who must have regard to them, and must tell the applicant the outcome. Each local policing body must publish its procedures and a point of contact, and publish annual figures on applications and outcomes.

The factsheet describes this as a duty on Police and Crime Commissioners to promote awareness of the ASB case review and provide a route for victims to query decisions through their office.

What is in force

Legislation.gov.uk shows sections 1, 4, 5 and 6 as prospective. The exception on the pages reviewed is section 3(5) and (6), the power for the Secretary of State to change closure order durations by regulations, which came into force on 29 June 2026 under S.I. 2026/689. Until the other measures are in force, the existing 2014 Act powers continue to apply. Security equipment can help with evidence but, as the related guide on the case review says, it does not oblige agencies to act. The guide to security lights and neighbours covers a different kind of neighbour dispute.

The bottom line

The Crime and Policing Act 2026 adds respect orders against adults who engage in anti-social behaviour, longer dispersal directions, closure powers for registered social housing providers, fixed penalties of up to £500 for breaching community protection notices and public spaces protection orders, and a review by the local policing body when agencies fail to act on persistent complaints. These changes apply in England and Wales and, apart from one power in section 3, were awaiting commencement when this article was written.

Sources

• Crime and Policing Act 2026, sections 1, 3, 4, 5 and 6 (legislation.gov.uk)
• Crime and Policing Act 2026: anti-social behaviour (ASB) factsheet, Home Office (gov.uk)

Phones, bicycles, vehicles and tools increasingly carry GPS or Bluetooth tracking, and victims can often see where a stolen item went. Until now, police in England and Wales have had no general power to enter a home to look for stolen goods without a warrant. The Crime and Policing Act 2026 creates one for electronically tracked items. This article summarises section 171 of the Act, which inserts new sections into the Theft Act 1968, and the government’s police powers factsheet. When written, legislation.gov.uk showed section 171 as prospective, meaning it was not in force at Royal Assent and awaits commencement regulations. It applies to England and Wales and is general information, not legal advice.

What the new power is

Section 171 inserts section 26A into the Theft Act 1968. It lets a police inspector, or an officer of higher rank, authorise a constable to enter specified premises and search them for specified items, without a court warrant. The government factsheet describes this as a new power to enter and search premises to which stolen goods have been electronically geolocation tracked, where it is not practicable to obtain a warrant. The factsheet says the police currently have no general power to enter and search premises solely to look for stolen goods without a warrant and must apply to a court, for example under section 8 of the Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984 or section 26 of the Theft Act 1968.

The conditions an inspector must be satisfied of

Under section 26A an authorisation may be given only if the senior officer is satisfied of two things. First, there are reasonable grounds to believe that the specified items are stolen goods, that they are on the specified premises, and that it is not reasonably practicable to obtain a warrant without frustrating or seriously prejudicing its purpose. Second, there is electronic tracking data indicating that the items, or any of them, are or have at some time since they are believed to have been stolen been on the premises. “Electronic tracking data” means information on an item’s location determined by electronic means. The factsheet says this covers GPS and other location data such as Bluetooth, Wi-Fi access points or cellular network technology.

The authorisation can be oral or written, and the officer must record the reasons in writing as soon as reasonably practicable.

Limits on how the power is used

The Act places conditions on how an authorisation is carried out. The powers can be exercised only by a constable in uniform, within 24 hours of the authorisation, and at a reasonable hour unless that might frustrate or seriously prejudice the purpose. The search is allowed only to the extent reasonably required to look for the specified items. If the occupier is present, the constable must identify themselves and state the purpose of the entry and search. Reasonable force may be used if necessary. The powers do not extend to items subject to legal privilege, excluded material or special procedure material, which the factsheet describes as including confidential journalistic material.

The factsheet says use will also be subject to the safeguards in PACE Code B, the code that governs police entry, search and seizure, which it says will be amended. The existing rules for entry are covered in the guide to police at your door and PACE Code B.

What police may seize

Section 26B lets a constable lawfully on the premises under the new power seize anything on them, whether or not it is a specified item, if there are reasonable grounds to believe it is stolen goods and that seizure is necessary to prevent it being concealed, lost, damaged, altered or destroyed. The constable may also seize items believed to be evidence of theft offences on the same necessity test. The constable must record in writing the grounds and the items seized.

Why the government says it is needed

The factsheet says victims often track stolen devices or vehicles using GPS trackers or apps such as Apple’s Find My, but when they report the crime the police are not always able to act. Stolen items are often moved on, sold or disabled quickly, so acting within what it calls the golden hour matters. The government says the power is intended for very specific circumstances in which the evidence leads police to conclude that a warrant would not be effective, and that the requirement for tracking data linking the item and the premises is a further safeguard against wrongly entering a property. Choosing a tracker is covered in the guide to Bluetooth, GPS or cellular trackers, with practical sections on vehicle trackers and bicycle trackers.

The bottom line

Once section 171 of the Crime and Policing Act 2026 is in force, an inspector in England and Wales will be able to authorise police to enter and search premises without a warrant where stolen items have been electronically tracked there and a warrant is not reasonably practicable, with tight conditions on time, uniform, scope and seizure. The power was prospective when this article was written. Electronic tracking data is central to it, and the factsheet frames the power as an additional tool alongside the existing warrant process.

Sources

• Crime and Policing Act 2026, section 171, inserting sections 26A to 26C into the Theft Act 1968 (legislation.gov.uk)
• Crime and Policing Act 2026: police powers factsheet, Home Office (gov.uk)

Cuckooing is the practice of criminals taking over the home of another person, often a vulnerable one, to use it for crime. The Crime and Policing Act 2026 creates a specific offence of controlling another person’s home for criminal purposes. This article summarises section 65 to 67 of the Act on legislation.gov.uk, the government’s factsheet on the new offence and the Home Office’s county lines guidance for frontline staff in England and Wales. When this article was written, legislation.gov.uk showed the offence as prospective: it was not in force at Royal Assent and awaits commencement regulations. It is general information, not legal advice.

The offence in the Act

Section 65 provides that a person commits an offence if they exercise control over another person’s dwelling, do so for the purpose of enabling the dwelling to be used in connection with one or more relevant offences, and the occupier does not consent to that control for that purpose. The offence is drafted for the whole United Kingdom, with a separate list of relevant offences for dwellings in England and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland in Schedule 9. The English and Welsh list includes offences under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971, the Firearms Act 1968, the Theft Act 1968 offences of theft and handling stolen goods, offensive weapons offences and many sexual offences.

The maximum penalty on conviction on indictment is 5 years’ imprisonment or a fine, or both. Summary penalties are set separately for England and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland. Section 67 lets ministers amend Schedule 9 by regulations, and the government factsheet says this is meant to future-proof the offence.

What counts as controlling a home

Section 66 defines a dwelling widely. It covers any structure or part of a structure occupied as a home or other living accommodation, whether the occupation is separate or shared, together with any yard, garden, grounds, garage or outhouse belonging to it or used with it. Structures include tents, caravans, vehicles and vessels. Control includes, whether temporarily or permanently, control over who can enter, leave, occupy or use the dwelling, the delivery or collection of things, the way or purposes for which it is used, and the occupier’s ability to use the home for their own purposes. It also covers arranging for another person to exercise that control.

Consent

The Act says an occupier consents only if they are aged 18 or over, have capacity to consent, are given enough information to make an informed decision, give consent freely and have not withdrawn it. The factsheet adds that consent obtained by coercion, deception or other abusive behaviour is not freely given. This matters because cuckooing often involves an occupier who appears to let people in. The factsheet describes typical victims as people with disability, drug or alcohol dependency, or who are elderly or socially isolated.

Commencement and what applies meanwhile

Section 255 provides that, subject to some exceptions, the Act comes into force on days appointed by the Secretary of State by regulations. Sections 65 and 66 show as not in force at Royal Assent, and the factsheet says statutory guidance will be issued to support the offence, with police chiefs and the National Crime Agency having a duty to have regard to it. Until the offence is in force, other offences and civil tools can be used. The Home Office guidance says police, local authorities and housing associations can act to evict offenders and support the victim to regain control through civil orders such as Closure Orders and Community Protection Notices, and it adds that the impact of any order on the victim’s safety should be considered.

The factsheet reports there is no central data on cuckooed properties, but a June 2025 week of intensified action against county lines gangs saw 584 suspected cuckooed properties visited, according to the National Police Chiefs’ Council.

Signs the Home Office lists

The county lines guidance lists signs of a cuckooed property, written for frontline staff in England and Wales:

• unfamiliar people coming and going at all hours, or an increase in key fob activity;
• more foot traffic or loitering around the property, or takeaway deliveries at unusual hours;
• more noise and disturbance, such as late-night parties or arguments, or signs of anti-social behaviour such as littering;
• damage to the property, such as broken windows or doors; and
• threats or intimidation towards other residents or neighbours.

The guidance stresses that victims may not see themselves as victims, and professionals should put the victim first. Related guides cover repeated anti-social behaviour and the sanctuary schemes through which councils fund home security.

Reporting a concern

GOV.UK says to call 999 if someone is in immediate danger or a crime is in progress, and otherwise to report a crime on 101 or online. Crimestoppers takes anonymous reports on 0800 555 111, but GOV.UK states it cannot be used to report that someone is in danger or that the caller has been a victim of crime. The factsheet says government guidance for police and partners on supporting and protecting victims of cuckooing will be published. The entitlements of crime victims after a report are covered in the guide to what the Victims’ Code entitles crime victims to.

The bottom line

The Crime and Policing Act 2026 creates a UK-wide offence of controlling another person’s dwelling, without their genuine consent, so that it can be used for specified crimes, carrying up to 5 years on indictment. It defines home and control widely and sets strict conditions for valid consent. At the time of writing the offence was prospective and not yet in force, so existing offences and civil orders such as Closure Orders and Community Protection Notices apply meanwhile. Concerns can be reported by 999 in an emergency, 101 or Crimestoppers.

Sources

• Crime and Policing Act 2026, sections 65 to 67, 255 and Schedule 9 (legislation.gov.uk)
• Crime and Policing Act 2026: child criminal exploitation, cuckooing (home takeover) and internal concealment factsheet, Home Office and Ministry of Justice (gov.uk)
• Criminal exploitation of children and vulnerable adults: county lines, Home Office (gov.uk)
• Report a crime (gov.uk)

A rented home that cannot be locked properly is more than an inconvenience: in England, councils can treat poor security as a housing hazard. The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) published new Housing Health and Safety Rating System (HHSRS) operating guidance on 23 June 2026, replacing the 2006 guidance. This article summarises the Part 2 hazard profile for entry by intruders, the gov.uk publication page and the guidance’s own baseline indicators. It applies to England only, is written for council assessors rather than tenants, and is general information, not legal advice.

What the guidance is and how it is used

The HHSRS is a risk-based system, set out in regulations, covering 21 potential hazards in homes. The publication page says it evaluates the potential risk of harm to an occupier and rates the seriousness of any hazard found. Councils must take enforcement action where they find the most dangerous “category 1” hazards, and have a power to act on “category 2” hazards. The guidance is issued under section 9 of the Housing Act 2004, and local authorities must have regard to it. Part 2 holds a technical profile for each hazard, including entry by intruders.

What the hazard covers

The profile describes entry by intruders as the difficulties in keeping a dwelling secure against unauthorised entry and the maintenance of defensible living space. It includes harm from intruder entry and from fear of an intruder entering. The health effects it lists are fear of burglary occurring or recurring, the stress and anguish caused by a burglary, and injuries caused by an intruder. The guidance notes that an offender may be known to the victim and that entry can be linked to domestic abuse. Its risk factors are mainly socio-economic and local: high crime and poverty in the area, lack of defensible space, poorly overlooked doors and windows, weak security measures, insubstantial construction and easy access from alleyways.

The baseline indicators for doors and windows

The profile lists baseline indicators that assessors use. They are standards of good condition, not a statutory checklist for landlords, and the assessment still weighs the whole dwelling. The security-related ones are:

• access doors should be solid, external grade, and fitted with at least a mortice deadlock to BS 3621 that can be opened from inside without a key;
• occupiers should be able to view visitors without opening the door, through a viewer or an adjacent glazed pane;
• rear doors should have a BS 3621 mortice deadlock or two security bolts;
• windows in accessible locations should have suitable locks;
• door and window frames and furniture should operate properly and be in good repair; and
• buildings with a common entrance should have a door entry system letting a visitor contact a dwelling by two-way conversation, with the occupant able to see and identify the visitor.

Adequate external lighting for means of access, including entrances, is a further indicator. The BS 3621 standard is discussed in the guide to BS 3621 and insurer-approved locks, and anti-snap cylinders in the guide to TS 007 cylinder stars.

Other matters assessors weigh

Beyond the baseline, the profile lists location, defensible space, lighting, pedestrian routes, a housing layout with no natural view of neighbouring dwellings, missing or broken door chains, absent or defective burglar alarms and insubstantial boundaries or outbuildings. It reports that, according to the Crime Survey for England and Wales, forcing a door lock was the most common break-in method in 2019/20, accounting for one-third of burglaries. Houses are more likely to be burgled than flats, and privately rented and HMO properties are more likely to be affected, partly because of socio-economic factors rather than design alone.

For houses in multiple occupation, the guidance adds that occupiers can fail to secure a property because each assumes someone else has done it, and that methods of securing individual bedrooms may be absent or poor. It recommends stout entry doors to flats, bedsits and bedrooms with adequate means for occupiers to lock them, and intercom systems with audio or video for larger buildings.

Balancing security, fire safety and ventilation

The guidance repeatedly warns that burglary prevention can conflict with other hazards. Security measures can impede escape in a fire, and locked windows can limit ventilation. It says conspicuous measures such as bars on windows and barbed or razor wire can increase feelings of insecurity and fear, and a balance must be struck. It adds that measures for the fire hazard should be considered alongside those for intruders. Window escape rules are covered in the guide to window locks and escape windows and fire doors in shared houses in the guide to HMO licensing and fire doors.

Tenants who are changing locks themselves should read the guide to landlord keys and lock changes first, since a tenancy agreement and the law on entry affect what can be done.

The bottom line

Under the government’s June 2026 HHSRS operating guidance for England, entry by intruders is one of 21 housing hazards that councils assess, with baseline indicators that include a BS 3621 mortice deadlock on access doors, a way to see visitors without opening the door, suitable locks on accessible windows and working door entry systems in shared buildings. Councils must act on the most serious category 1 hazards. The guidance balances security against fire escape and ventilation, and it is written for assessors rather than as a tenant checklist.

Sources

• The Housing Health and Safety Rating System (HHSRS): Operating Guidance, Part 2: A technical guide for assessors, Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government, June 2026 (gov.uk)
• Housing Health and Safety Rating System (HHSRS): Operating guidance, publication page, Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (gov.uk)

A car parked on the drive is part of the home’s security perimeter, and the keys inside the house are the weak point. Vehicles with contactless “smart” keys can be stolen without the key ever leaving the hallway. This article summarises Secured by Design’s guidance on relay theft, Home Office statements about signal-manipulation devices, and the text of section 149 of the Crime and Policing Act 2026, which creates offences relating to such devices across the United Kingdom. It is general information, not legal advice or a guarantee that any measure will prevent a theft.

How relay theft works, according to Secured by Design

Secured by Design, the police-backed crime prevention initiative, says vehicles fitted with a smart or passive key are susceptible to relay theft. Criminals normally work in pairs and use cloning devices able to grab the signal from the smart key so that the car appears to detect the key nearby. The process can take as little as 60 seconds, and for safety reasons the engine will not cut out when the key goes out of range. Secured by Design says vehicles are most vulnerable overnight, particularly on a driveway or directly outside a home, where most of these thefts occur.

The practical advice

Secured by Design lists six measures for owners:

• Use a pouch. Store keys in a security pouch, described as a Faraday bag or RFID signal shield, when not in use at home, out and about or on holiday. The pouch is meant to stop the signal being captured.
• Do not leave keys by the door. Fishing for vehicle keys through the letterbox is described as a prominent method of stealing them, and signals are easier to grab when keys are near the front door.
• Disable the fob where possible. Some fobs can be switched off, so the vehicle manual or dealer should be consulted.
• Fit a tracker. Trackers can increase the chance of recovery after a theft.
• Use locks or clamps. Steering wheel locks and wheel clamps are described as a deterrent because thieves prefer to avoid anything that slows their getaway.
• Consider CCTV to view the garden, having first read the Information Commissioner’s Office advice on domestic CCTV systems.

Secured by Design also advises anyone buying a new car to speak to the dealer, because manufacturers and industry bodies have been working against relay theft for years.

How common signal manipulation is

A Home Office announcement dated 24 February 2025 cited the 2022 to 2023 Crime Survey for England and Wales, in which an offender manipulated a signal from a remote locking device in 40% of vehicle thefts in England and Wales. It also cited 732,000 incidents of vehicle-related theft in the year ending September 2024, and the Metropolitan Police Service’s estimate that signal jammers are used in approximately 60% of vehicle theft in London. Those figures describe England and Wales, not the whole UK, and the Metropolitan Police figure is an estimate for London.

The new offence

Before the Act, the Government’s factsheet says, these devices were not in themselves illegal to possess. Offenders could be charged with going equipped to commit theft under section 5 of the Theft Act 1968 or with conspiracy, but the prosecution had to prove the offender’s intention to steal a vehicle. Section 149 of the Crime and Policing Act 2026, headed “Electronic devices for use in vehicle offences” and marked as extending to the UK, changes that focus:

• It is an offence to possess an electronic device in circumstances that give rise to a reasonable suspicion that it will be used in connection with a relevant offence.
• It is an offence to import, make, adapt, supply or offer to supply such a device in the same circumstances.
• It is a defence to show the person did not intend or suspect the device would be used in connection with a relevant offence.
• The court may assume a person possessed a device found on premises they occupy or habitually use, unless they show they did not know of it or had no control over it.

A “relevant offence” is defined separately for each nation: theft of a conveyance or anything in it, or taking a vehicle without authority, under the Theft Act 1968 in England and Wales and the Theft Act (Northern Ireland) 1969 in Northern Ireland, and the equivalent theft or taking offences in Scotland.

Penalties and legitimate devices

On conviction on indictment the maximum is five years’ imprisonment, a fine, or both. On summary conviction it is the general limit in a magistrates’ court in England and Wales, 12 months or a fine in Scotland and six months or a fine in Northern Ireland. The Government’s factsheet says some signal devices are legitimate, such as signal repeaters approved for use by Ofcom to boost weak mobile signals, and that people with a valid use should be able to show it. The site’s separate article on signal jammers and the home covers the older offences about jamming Wi-Fi and cameras.

Is the offence in force?

Legislation.gov.uk shows section 149 as not in force at Royal Assent, with commencement governed by section 255(1) of the Act, and it displays the section as a prospective version until a commencement order is applied. The offences therefore apply from the date they are brought into force.

The bottom line

Relay theft is described by Secured by Design as a driveway-and-doorway problem: keep keys in a signal-blocking pouch, away from the front door and letterbox, consider disabling the fob, and add a physical lock or tracker. The Crime and Policing Act 2026 will add UK-wide offences for possessing or supplying devices used in vehicle theft, with a five-year maximum on indictment, but they apply only once commenced.

Sources

• Secured by Design, “Prevent Keyless Car Theft ’Relay Theft’”
• GOV.UK, Home Office, “Vehicle theft equipment to be banned under new government law”
• GOV.UK, “Crime and Policing Act 2026: serious crime factsheet”
• Legislation.gov.uk, “Crime and Policing Act 2026, section 149”

Scratched paintwork, a smashed window, a kicked-in gate or graffiti on a garage door all point to the same offence in law. The Criminal Damage Act 1971 covers destroying or damaging property, and it is the main statute behind most vandalism reports. This article summarises the Act as published on legislation.gov.uk and the Crown Prosecution Service’s guidance on allocation. The provisions summarised here are marked on legislation.gov.uk as extending to England and Wales, so this article covers England and Wales only. Scotland and Northern Ireland are outside its scope. It is general information, not legal advice.

The basic offence

Section 1(1) says a person commits an offence if, without lawful excuse, they destroy or damage property belonging to another, intending to do so or being reckless as to whether such property would be destroyed or damaged. Two features matter for householders. The offence needs intent or recklessness, so an accident is a different matter, and it applies whatever the value of the damage, from a keyed panel to a wrecked shed.

Section 10 defines “property” as property of a tangible nature, real or personal, including money. It also treats property as belonging to anyone who has custody or control of it, or a proprietary right or interest in it, or a charge on it. That means a tenant, a lender with a charge or someone renting a car can all be the person to whom the property “belongs”. The section excludes wild mushrooms and wild flowers, fruit or foliage, and section 10(5) says altering the contents of a computer is not damage unless it impairs the physical condition of the computer or storage medium.

Endangering life and arson

Section 1(2) covers a more serious version: destroying or damaging any property, even the person’s own, intending to endanger the life of another or being reckless as to whether life would be endangered. Section 1(3) provides that an offence committed by fire is charged as arson.

Threats and possession

Two further offences complete the Act. Section 2 makes it an offence, without lawful excuse, to threaten another person with the destruction or damage of their property, or of a third person’s property, intending them to fear the threat would be carried out. It also covers threats to destroy the threatener’s own property in a way that endangers life. Section 3 covers having anything in custody or under control intending, without lawful excuse, to use it or let another use it to destroy or damage another person’s property. The Act records that sections 2 and 3 were amended as to mode of trial by the Magistrates’ Courts Act 1980.

Maximum sentences

Under section 4, arson and the section 1(2) life-endangering offence carry a maximum of life imprisonment on conviction on indictment. Any other offence under the Act carries up to ten years on indictment.

Where the case is heard: the 5,000 pound line

The CPS guidance on allocation explains why most vandalism is dealt with in the magistrates’ court. It says that, although criminal damage is triable either way, for allocation purposes a charge under section 1 of the 1971 Act is treated as if it were summary only where the value is less than 5,000 pounds, except in cases involving arson or memorials. The CPS adds that the six-month time limit for laying an information in section 127 of the Magistrates’ Courts Act 1980 does not apply to criminal damage.

“Lawful excuse”

The Act does not define lawful excuse in the abstract. Section 5 says a person charged with a section 1(1) offence is treated as having a lawful excuse in two situations:

• they believed the person entitled to consent to the damage had consented, or would have consented had they known of it and its circumstances; or
• they damaged or threatened to damage property to protect their own or another’s property, or a right or interest in property, and at the time believed both that it was in immediate need of protection and that the means used were reasonable in all the circumstances.

Section 5(3) says it is immaterial whether the belief is justified, if it is honestly held. The site’s article on booby traps and DIY deterrents looks at the position of traps aimed at intruders, and the article on reasonable force against a home intruder covers the separate force rules.

How this differs from burglary

Burglary is a separate offence under the Theft Act 1968. The site’s guide to what legally counts as burglary explains that offence, while criminal damage under the 1971 Act is charged as its own offence.

Questions people ask

Does it matter who owns the damaged item? For a section 1(1) offence the property must belong to another, and section 10 defines belonging broadly. Section 1(2) applies even to a person’s own property where life is endangered.

The bottom line

The Criminal Damage Act 1971 treats deliberate or reckless damage to another’s property as an offence in England and Wales, with a ten-year maximum on indictment, life for arson or endangering life, and most low-value cases dealt with in the magistrates’ court. A genuine belief that the owner consented, or that damage was necessary to protect property, can amount to lawful excuse.

Sources

• Legislation.gov.uk, “Criminal Damage Act 1971, section 1”
• Legislation.gov.uk, “Criminal Damage Act 1971, section 5”
• Legislation.gov.uk, “Criminal Damage Act 1971, section 10”
• Crown Prosecution Service, “Allocation, Sending and Committal for Sentence”
• legislation.gov.uk, Criminal Damage Act 1971, section 2
• legislation.gov.uk, Criminal Damage Act 1971, section 3
• legislation.gov.uk, Criminal Damage Act 1971, section 4

Unwanted attention that reaches the front door, whether it is repeated visits, parked cars, watching the house or gifts left on the step, can be stalking even when no single act looks serious. The Stalking Protection Act 2019 created a civil order that lets police act early, before any conviction. This article summarises the Home Office statutory guidance for the police on Stalking Protection Orders (April 2024), the text of the Act, and GOV.UK’s 2026 factsheet on further changes. The guidance states that it applies to England and Wales only. Scotland and Northern Ireland are outside its scope. It is general information, not legal advice or a safety plan.

What a Stalking Protection Order is

The guidance describes a Stalking Protection Order (SPO) as a civil order that can be sought by the police. It was created to close a gap in the existing protective orders regime: the threshold for starting criminal proceedings does not need to be met before an order is made, which allows early intervention before behaviour becomes entrenched or escalates. No prior conviction for stalking is required. Where the criminal threshold has already been met, an SPO is not an alternative to prosecution under the Protection from Harassment Act 1997. It can complement a prosecution.

Only police can apply for an order (through a chief officer of police, who may delegate), to a magistrates’ court. An application is made in respect of a person who lives in that force’s area or who the chief officer believes is in, or intending to come to, the area. The person seeking protection does not apply themselves.

When police can apply

The guidance says police should consider applying where it appears that the respondent has carried out acts associated with stalking, poses a risk of stalking to a person, and there is reasonable cause to believe an order is necessary to protect that person. A magistrates’ court may make an order only where similar criteria in section 2(1) of the Act are satisfied. The person to be protected does not need to have been the victim of the earlier acts.

The guidance also makes several points that matter for a household:

• Risk can be physical or psychological harm, or physical damage to property.
• Acts that look harmless alone, such as unwanted gifts or flowers, may be stalking when combined with other behaviour.
• An application can be made whether or not the police pursue a prosecution, and at any stage up to and after conviction or acquittal.
• Police can consider an order to protect people connected to the victim, not only the victim.
• Orders can be sought against children aged 10 and over, in which case cases go to the youth courts.
• Orders are not limited to stranger stalking and can be used in a domestic abuse context, including after a relationship has ended.

Interim orders

An interim order is a temporary order imposing prohibitions or requirements the court considers appropriate, aimed at protecting a victim between the application and the full decision. The guidance says the court may make one if it considers it appropriate to do so, a lower threshold than for a full order, and that it is intended for limited periods. Breach of an interim order is an offence with the same maximum penalty as breach of a full order.

What an order can prohibit or require

The guidance lists conditions police may ask for, while noting that the magistrates’ court makes the final decision and that the list is not exhaustive. Prohibitions could include:

• entering certain locations or defined areas where the victim lives or often goes;
• contacting the victim by any means, or through third parties;
• referring to the victim on social media;
• recording images of the victim;
• physically approaching the victim, at all or within a specified area or map boundary; and
• any form of surveillance of the victim.

Positive requirements could include attending an assessment or a perpetrator programme, surrendering devices, giving police access to accounts, phones and passwords, or signing on at a police station. The guidance tells police not to ask for electronic monitoring because the infrastructure is not in place. Conditions are meant to be clear, specific and proportionate, and police are advised to consult the victim on the conditions they want.

Length, reach and breach

An order lasts for the fixed period the court specifies, which must be at least two years, or until a further order is made. Different conditions can run for different periods. A prohibition or requirement has effect throughout the United Kingdom unless expressly limited to a locality. A person who breaches an SPO or an interim order without reasonable excuse commits a criminal offence, and the guidance says the CPS is involved if a breach is prosecuted.

Recent changes

GOV.UK’s factsheet on the Crime and Policing Act 2026 says the Act amends the Stalking Protection Act 2019 and the Sentencing Code so that courts can make an SPO on conviction or acquittal without a police application, and so that the civil standard of proof, the balance of probabilities, applies to SPOs. The factsheet also describes a Home Secretary duty to issue multi-agency statutory guidance on stalking. Northern Ireland changes are made through the Protection from Stalking Act (Northern Ireland) 2022. The 2024 guidance predates these changes, so current procedure should be confirmed with the police.

Questions people ask

Can I apply for an SPO myself? Under the guidance, applications are made by the police, not by the person being protected.

Does an SPO replace reporting stalking as a crime? No. The guidance says an SPO does not replace prosecution under the 1997 Act and can complement it.

The bottom line

A Stalking Protection Order is a civil, police-led tool in England and Wales that can restrict a person’s contact, approaches, recording and surveillance for at least two years without waiting for a conviction, with breach a criminal offence. It sits alongside, not instead of, prosecution. Anyone worried about stalking at home should report it to the police, who make the application decision.

Sources

• GOV.UK, Home Office, “Stalking Protection Orders: statutory guidance for the police (accessible version)”
• GOV.UK, Home Office and Ministry of Justice, “Crime and Policing Act 2026: stalking factsheet”

For anyone who holds a firearm or shotgun certificate, home security is a licence condition rather than a matter of choice. The Home Office publishes the Firearms Security Handbook 2020 as guidance for police and others on how those conditions are usually met, and it doubles as a detailed account of what a well-protected home looks like. This article summarises the handbook and the statutory guidance for chief officers of police on firearms licensing. The statutory guidance states that it applies to England, Scotland and Wales, and this article is limited to Great Britain. Northern Ireland has separate firearms legislation and is not covered. It is general information, not legal advice; the handbook itself says it is not a statement of the law.

The legal condition behind the guidance

The handbook explains that it is a condition of a firearm certificate that the guns must be stored securely at all times, except in certain circumstances, so as to prevent, so far as is reasonably practicable, access to them by unauthorised persons. Here “unauthorised persons” means anyone without a certificate allowing them to possess the holder’s guns. Shotgun ammunition is not covered by the condition, although the handbook says it is advisable to store it safely.

The police statutory guidance adds that a home visit must be carried out before a certificate is granted to a first-time applicant, that it must include inspection of the security arrangements, and that a certificate should not be granted where there is doubt about whether the applicant will keep firearms secure at all times. The handbook is the reference document for those inspections.

The cabinet itself

For most homes the handbook expects a purpose-made cabinet. New cabinets should conform to BS 7558, and an older cabinet that is satisfactory need not be replaced. Where only one rifle or shotgun is held in a low-risk situation, a gun clamp or similar device fixed to the building can be reasonable. The cabinet should be fixed to the structure and sited to frustrate attack and to avoid being identified by visitors, ideally out of view from both inside and outside the building. Wardrobes, cupboards, lofts and cellars are given as examples, with a caution that damp or condensation can damage firearms and corrode the fixings.

Ammunition and easily removable parts such as rifle bolts may be stored separately as an extra layer. Section 1 ammunition must be kept secure, and the handbook suggests its own lockable compartment in the cabinet.

Fixings, weight and walls

The handbook is specific about anchorage. Fastening to timber stud walls should be avoided unless extra anchorage is provided, while floor or roof joists are acceptable, and brick, concrete or masonry walls are usually best if the correct fixing is used. Breeze and thermal block walls are noted as poorly suited to ordinary fixings. For a floor fixing, it gives an example of coach screws at least 3/8 inch (8 mm) in diameter and 2.5 inches (63 mm) long, driven into joists rather than floorboards. It also warns that a large steel cabinet can exceed typical suspended-floor loading and that lofts may have lighter joists, so structural advice should be taken where in doubt.

Three levels of security

The handbook describes proportionate levels rather than fixed rules. Level 1 is the normal standard: a cabinet, good final exit doors (ideally to PAS 24) and suitable locks on ground-floor and patio windows. Level 2 applies where factors such as repeat victimisation, a high-crime area, a regularly unoccupied building or a substantial number of guns are present. It adds final exit door locks to BS 3621 (2016) or equivalent, secure window locking and an audible intruder alarm. Level 3 covers a higher assessed risk, and the handbook suggests dividing the guns between separate cabinets, additional target hardening or a gun room, and an alarm to BS 4737 3.30:2015 or equivalent, ideally monitored by an NSI monitoring centre. Section 5 firearms held in a dwelling call for Level 3.

The guide gives rough numbers, treating six to ten guns as the lower end of Level 2 and more than twelve as a “larger” number, but stresses that number alone is not enough and that type of firearm and other risks matter.

Garages and outbuildings

The handbook prefers storage in the occupied part of the dwelling. Detached buildings and garages with only external access should not be used unless they meet the standard, and if used they should be protected by an intruder alarm linked to the household to BS EN 50131. For an integral garage it recommends external walls built to the same standard as the house, a vehicle door rated to LPS 1175 Security Rating 1 or above (or equivalent listed standards), other doors specified like a main entrance door, and the cabinet positioned away from the vehicle door and screened from view.

Fire escape and safety

The handbook says no security requirement can prevent the immediate and unobstructed use of a window or opening provided as an emergency escape, and that any conflict with safety regulations should be resolved with the agency responsible. Ammunition should not be kept in an area exposed to fire risk or on an escape route. For garage doors more generally, see the site’s article on garage doors and the door into the house.

Keys and access

Security includes managing who can open the storage, not only the hardware. The handbook says access control, including the security of keys, is important, especially where children live in the household.

The bottom line

The Home Office handbook treats gun storage as a layered, proportionate system: a fixed cabinet to BS 7558, sound doors and windows, alarms as risk rises and careful key control, with emergency escape routes kept clear. It applies to certificate holders in Great Britain under the Firearms Act 1968 regime. Anyone holding or applying for a certificate should take the exact requirements for their home from their police firearms licensing team.

Sources

• GOV.UK, Home Office, “Firearms security handbook 2020 (accessible)”
• GOV.UK, Home Office, “Firearms licensing: statutory guidance for chief officers of police (accessible)”

A pet taken from a garden, a car or a front step is a security incident as much as a welfare one, and since August 2024 the law has treated it differently from stealing an object. The Pet Abduction Act 2024 created two offences, dog abduction and cat abduction. It draws on the Act, the Government’s Royal Assent announcement and the House of Commons Library briefing. It is general information, not legal advice, and it is careful about geography, because the offences do not cover the whole UK.

What the law was before the Act

The Commons Library briefing explains that, before the Act, animals fell within the definition of property in legislation, so pet theft was dealt with under the Theft Act 1968. Campaigners wanted a law that reflected the emotional value of pets and the distress of losing them. The Government set up a Pet Theft Taskforce in May 2021, which concluded in September 2021 that a new pet abduction offence should be created to shift the focus at sentencing towards the welfare of the animal.

The Government’s announcement of the Act cites Taskforce evidence that around 2,000 dog thefts and over 400 cat thefts were reported to police in 2020, and describes cats and dogs as sentient beings that can suffer distress when stolen.

Where the offences apply

Geography matters more here than in most laws. Section 1 makes dog abduction an offence where the person and the dog are both in England or Northern Ireland at the time the dog is taken or detained. Section 2 uses the same test for cats. The Act’s extent marking covers England, Wales and Northern Ireland, but the offences themselves are drawn around conduct in England or Northern Ireland. On the wording of sections 1 and 2, they do not describe conduct that takes place in Wales or Scotland, and the Government’s announcement says the new legislation creates offences for dog and cat abduction in England and Northern Ireland. A taking in Scotland or Wales therefore falls outside these two offences.

What counts as abduction

For dogs, an offence is committed by taking a dog so as to remove it from the lawful control of any person, or by detaining a dog so as to keep it from the lawful control of the person entitled to have it. The Act says taking includes causing or inducing a dog to accompany someone, so a dog lured away is covered as well as one physically carried off. For cats, only taking is an offence. The Act creates no detention offence for cats.

The separating-couple exception

Both sections contain a carve-out for people who lived together before the animal joined them. There is no offence if the person who took the animal, the person it was taken from and the animal all lived in the same household, the two people had lived together before the animal began living with them, they later stopped living together, and the taking or detention happened at or after the time they separated. In plain terms, the offence is not aimed at disputes between former partners about who keeps a pet. Those disputes are left to other areas of law.

Defences

Both offences have a defence for a person who shows lawful authority or a reasonable excuse. The Act also gives dog-specific defences for people who detain a dog they believed was a stray.

• In England, the person must have believed the dog was a stray, taken all reasonable steps to comply with section 150(1) of the Environmental Protection Act 1990 (delivering a stray dog to its owner or a local authority officer), and not detained the dog for more than 96 hours, disregarding any period in which it was kept under section 150(2)(a) of that Act.
• In Northern Ireland, the person must have found the dog in accordance with Article 24(1) of the Dogs (Northern Ireland) Order 1983, given the notice required by Article 24(2) and taken all reasonable steps to comply with arrangements for collecting the dog under Article 24(3).

For each defence the Act says a person is taken to have shown the fact if enough evidence is produced to raise the issue and the contrary is not proved beyond reasonable doubt.

Penalties

A person convicted on indictment of either offence is liable to imprisonment for up to five years, a fine, or both. On summary conviction in England and Wales the maximum is the general limit in a magistrates’ court, or a fine, or both, and in Northern Ireland it is up to 12 months, or a fine up to the statutory maximum, or both.

Other pets and commencement

Section 3 lets the Secretary of State for England, and the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs for Northern Ireland, amend the Act by regulations to apply similar offences to other species. The power may be used only if the authority considers the species is commonly kept as a pet and there is evidence that unlawful takings are significant or increasing significantly, and the regulations cannot vary the penalties. The offences in sections 1 and 2 came into force on 24 August 2024, for England and Wales by section 6(1) and for Northern Ireland by a statutory rule. The Government’s announcement adds that microchipping of cats in England became compulsory from 10 June 2024, which makes it easier to reunite lost, stray or stolen pets with their owners.

The bottom line

The Pet Abduction Act 2024 makes taking a dog or cat, and detaining a dog, a specific offence with a five-year maximum where the person and animal are in England or Northern Ireland, with defences for lawful authority, reasonable excuse and genuine strays and an exception for separating couples. Scotland and Wales are not covered by these offences, so the location of the incident matters.

Sources

• Legislation.gov.uk, “Pet Abduction Act 2024”
• GOV.UK, Defra, “Pet Abduction Bill becomes law”
• House of Commons Library, “Pet Abduction Bill 2023-24”