22 Million Doors in the UK Could be at Risk

It is estimated that 22 million doors across the UK could be at risk from a method of attack where the door lock cylinder is snapped in just five seconds. These these Euro-Profile (or European Profile) style cylinders are widely used on uPVC doors and no matter how secure a door’s lock appears to be, if it has a Euro-Profile style cylinder a burglar can disable it in the blink of an eye with everyday tools.

Moreover, there is little evidence of damage and there have been reports that some insurance companies have declined to pay out for the losses because they argue that there is insufficient evidence to prove that the house was broken into.

To prevent a burglar breaking into your property by this method, local Master Locksmiths, CIA Ltd in Waterlooville, recommend that the Euro Profile cylinder be replaced with a cylinder that doesn’t compromise the rest of the lock, together with cylinder enhancers which makes it difficult to remove a broken cylinder.

CIA’s Locksmith Manager, Mike Barry, said “We have seen a growing interest in replacement cylinders, especially now that burglars can download the method for snapping these Euro cylinders from the web.   It is, indeed, quick and easy to break these Euro Profile cylinders, and you don’t need either expertise or specialist tools for the job, either.

“These replacement cylinders are not that expensive, so it has to be worth it to prevent a break-in.  We’re always happy to replace the cylinder for you but it’s also quick and easy to do it yourself and we sell the components in our e-shop.

“We particularly recommend Mul-T-Lock’s range of ‘Break Secure’ cylinders which are specifically designed snap when attacked without compromising the security of the lock.  Used with Squire and ERA’s cylinder enhancers, they are a fail-safe method against cylinder snapping.”