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Thursday, December 27, 2007

LAW OF THE LAND
Rules say homes must be safe for robbers
'Why would I want my house safe for these people? It's crazy.'

Posted: December 27, 2007
1:00 a.m. Eastern

© 2007 WorldNetDaily.com

A woman who suffered a break-in robbery in which she lost some valuable antiques worth "thousands" has been told she could face a significant liability if she beefs up her home's security, and a returning robber would be injured.

"If I have got to live behind locked doors for the rest of my life, I hope the rest of my life isn't very long," the woman, who asked to remain anonymous, told the Rugby, England, Advertiser.

"But why would I want my house safe for these people? It's crazy," she said.

The woman had antiques and personal items worth "thousands" stolen from her home during her absence to attend to the needs of her brother, suffering with cancer.

The invaders smashed through a security gate and broke windows in order to get inside, police reports said.

During their investigation, Rugby police provided her with a crime-fighting booklet that discusses home security.

But she told the Advertiser when she asked about putting in a new security fence and upgrading its capabilities, she was told the laws on liability meant she risked a police investigation herself if any trespassers hurt themselves climbing it.

She had wanted to add barbed wire to the fence in order to reduce the ease with which the robbers apparently gained access to her home.

But the Warwickshire Police "Operation Impact" booklet, which gives victims information on crime-fighting, suggested she could risk a prosecution herself if someone would be hurt.

"I respect that if the postman or the gas man calls, they don't expect to hurt himself. But I was speechless – you couldn't make it up. I think these laws show we have gone soft in the head," she told the newspaper.

An investigation is continuing.