Guide
Just Been Burgled? What to Do in the First Hours, Days and Weeks
You have come home to a break-in and need to know what to do first. There is an order to it, and following that order protects both the police investigation and your insurance claim.
Most steps are simple, and this guide sets them out in the order they happen. The security advice comes from Runcorn Locksmith; the rest comes from the organisations named in each section.
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Start Here: The First Hour
Your first decision is whether anyone might still be inside, because that decides which number you call: 999 if they might be, 101 or online if they have gone. The five lines below are the whole first hour in brief.
- Call the police: 999 if someone may be inside, otherwise 101 or online.
- Keep out of rooms that have been disturbed.
- Note down anything you can see is missing.
- Tell your bank straight away if cards or chequebooks were taken.
- Make the house secure once the police say you can.
If You Think Someone Is Still Inside
Do not go in. Call 999. That still applies if you have already stepped inside before realising: turning round and leaving is the right move even then.
Police guidance lists a burglary in progress, or a suspect still at the address, as a 999 emergency, alongside danger to life and violence or threats of it.
Wait somewhere safe, such as a neighbour's house or your car, and stay on the line if the call handler asks you to. Do not confront, follow or try to photograph anyone.
If the House Is Empty and the Burglar Has Gone
Report it to the police by phone on 101 or through the online form, and make sure you come away with a crime reference number. Both routes are handled by the same control room, so the online form is not a second-best option if the phone line is busy.
Before you call, walk round quickly, because the call handler will usually ask: - the address and roughly when it happened - which rooms were entered - what you can see is missing
You do not need a full inventory to report the crime, only to claim.
What Not to Do Before the Police Have Been
The rule is not to touch nothing at all; it is to leave certain things alone and otherwise carry on using your home. First, photograph anything disturbed before it is moved: it costs nothing and helps both the police and your claim.
Leave alone for now: - the door or window used to get in - visible marks on surfaces or floors - items the intruder clearly picked up or moved
If bank cards or chequebooks are gone, contact your bank now; that is the one job here that cannot wait.
What the Police Need You to Leave Alone, and What You Can Use as Normal
Light switches and door handles can be used as normal. That comes from police forensic evidence guidance, and it applies whether or not a crime scene investigator is coming to the house. What the police ask you to avoid touching or cleaning is narrower: fluids such as blood, footprints, and areas or items handled by the person responsible.
| Fine to use as normal | Leave alone until the police have finished |
|---|---|
| Light switches | The point of entry |
| Door handles | Fluids, such as blood |
| Kitchen and bathroom | Footprints and other marks |
| Chairs and sofas you sit on | Drawers, boxes and items the intruder handled |
What You Can Touch and Use as Normal
It is worth hearing twice: police guidance says light switches and door handles can be used as normal. So you can put the lights on, open and shut doors, use the kitchen and bathroom, and sit down. The surfaces that interest the police are the ones the intruder touched and your household does not, so a switch everyone uses holds little forensic value, while a forced window frame holds a lot. If you are unsure whether something was handled, leave it and mention it when the police arrive.
What to Leave Untouched Until the Police Have Finished
Think in categories rather than rooms: fluids, marks on floors or surfaces, and anything the intruder clearly handled.
- the forced door, broken pane or marked window frame
- drawers and cupboards that were emptied
- a jewellery box or container that was lifted and put down
- a gate, bin or garden furniture moved to climb on
- any footprints inside or outside
Once the photograph exists, you can be practical about the rest. Police guidance does not set a fixed waiting period before cleaning, so ask when you report it and write down the answer.
How to Move Things Safely If You Have To
Take a photograph first, then put gloves on before you handle anything smooth. Police guidance asks for exactly that order: photograph the disturbance, then wear gloves to move items with smooth or shiny surfaces, such as plastic, metal, glass and treated wood. Those surfaces are singled out because they keep marks that rough or fabric surfaces do not.
- Photograph the item where it lies.
- Put on gloves; ordinary kitchen gloves are fine.
- Move only what you need to.
Neither step needs to be perfect. Photograph the damage too, because that picture also serves the repair.
Reporting the Burglary and Getting Your Crime Reference Number
Your insurer will ask for the crime reference number before anything else. In Runcorn you report a burglary to Cheshire Constabulary, on 101 or online at https://www.cheshire.police.uk, and you should come away with a crime reference number before you start a claim. The force handles plenty of these reports: Cheshire Constabulary recorded 132 burglaries in Runcorn over the 12 months from September 2025 to August 2026 (Cheshire Constabulary via data.police.uk). The police decide which reports they can investigate, and they will be in touch either way.
999, 101 or Online: Which Route Applies
Use 999 while the burglary is happening or the suspect is still there; otherwise 101 or the online form, which reaches the same control room and is handled the same way. You can also report at an open police station.
| Route | When to use it | What to expect |
|---|---|---|
| 999 | Burglary in progress, suspect still at the address, or any danger | Immediate response to the emergency |
| 101 | The burglar has gone and nobody is at risk | A report taken by phone and a crime reference number |
| Online form | Same as 101, when you would rather not wait on the line | Same control room, same handling as a phone report |
Have to hand: the address, roughly when it happened, which rooms were entered, what is obviously missing, and any vehicle or person you saw.
What Happens After You Report It
The force decides what it can investigate and will contact you either way. Forces typically weigh the victim's vulnerability, the seriousness of the crime, the likelihood of solving it and the best use of resources. If they cannot investigate, they should explain why; if they can, an investigating officer becomes your point of contact. Whether a crime scene investigator attends is decided case by case.
Keep a record in one place: - the crime reference number - the officer's name - the date you reported it - anything you were told about next steps
If the case is not taken further, the Victims' Right to Review scheme lets you ask for that decision to be reviewed; see your rights below.
Can You Repair the Door Before the Insurer Has Seen It?
Yes, once the damage has been photographed. Police guidance says to photograph the damage first when making repairs to secure your home. The Association of British Insurers says your policy will usually cover emergency repairs you make after an incident. The word "usually" matters: cover varies by insurer, policy and level of cover, so check yours. If a door or window cannot be closed tonight, a damaged opening can be boarded up as a temporary measure.
- Photograph the damage.
- Make the door or window secure.
- Keep the receipt.
Photograph the Damage Before Anything Is Repaired
Photograph the damage first: that is the police instruction, not a tip.
- the damaged door or window from a distance
- the same opening close up
- the frame and the lock itself
- any marks on the surrounding surfaces
- a wider shot showing which door or window it is
Photograph before anyone touches it and again after temporary work. Phone photographs carry a date and time, which settles when the damage happened. The same pictures serve the police, your insurer and whoever quotes for the repair.
What Your Policy Usually Covers for Emergency Repairs
The Association of British Insurers says policies usually cover emergency repairs made after an incident. That means work to make the property secure and weatherproof: boarding a broken pane or panel, refitting or replacing a forced lock, securing a window that no longer shuts. Home emergency cover, where held as an add-on, can also be used to make a home secure again, and some policies require their own contractor. Tell your insurer as soon as reasonably possible, because terms vary by insurer, cover level and add-ons.
Questions to ask your insurer: - Does my policy cover emergency repairs, and is there a limit? - Do I need to use your approved contractor? - What evidence do you need from me?
Whatever the answer, keep every receipt.
Keeping the Paperwork Your Insurer Will Ask For
Your insurer will want four things: the crime reference number, photographs, receipts, and a written note of who you spoke to and when.
| Keep this | Why |
|---|---|
| Crime reference number | Insurers often need a police report as proof that a theft happened |
| Photographs | They show what was damaged and when |
| Receipts for emergency work | They show what was spent and why |
| A contact log | It is the only record of anything agreed verbally, which matters most on a long claim |
| The damaged lock or broken part | It is physical evidence of forced entry |
If a lock is replaced, keep the old one until the claim settles. Put everything in one folder or phone album on day one.
Making Your Home Secure Again
The goal is doors and windows that lock properly tonight, and a house where every key is accounted for. Those are two separate jobs that tend to get lumped together: repairing the damage, and taking back control of who holds a key. Both matter, and the second is the one people skip. You can read more about burglary damage repairs on our service page.
Why Changing the Locks Matters More Than the Damaged Door
A repaired door with the original cylinder still in it looks secure without being secure. Fixing the forced door answers the first question below; only a new cylinder answers the second, because a key taken from the hall table or a coat pocket still works in a repaired door.
Two questions to ask: - Is the door mechanically sound again? - Could anyone else have a working key? If so, replace the locks.
On a uPVC or composite door the euro cylinder can usually be changed on its own, without replacing the multipoint mechanism. Our guide to changing a uPVC door lock explains how a cylinder change works.
Missing Spare Keys and Who Else Holds One
Count the keys before you decide whether the locks need changing. Independent Age advises checking whether any spare keys are missing and changing the locks if they are.
- List every key issued for each external door.
- Note who holds each one.
- Check that each one can be produced today.
- Mark any that cannot be found.
What matters is whether any key cannot be accounted for, because a key you cannot find may have been taken. A burglary where nothing seems stolen but a spare key has gone most justifies a lock change. Check the usual places: a hook near the door, a hall drawer, a coat pocket, a key safe. If you want to know what the work involves, our guide to how lock replacement is priced sets it out.
If You Rent: Telling Your Landlord or Housing Provider
Tell your landlord or housing provider as soon as you have told the police. Independent Age advises telling the landlord if you rent. Most tenancy agreements ask tenants to report damage promptly, and a break-in counts.
Responsibility usually divides like this: - Landlord: normally the structure, including external doors, windows and locks. - Tenant: their own belongings, through contents insurance. - Both: agree in writing who is arranging what.
Changing a lock without telling your landlord can breach your agreement and leave them without a key, so get their instruction in writing first. Council and housing association tenants should usually start with the repairs line. Keep the same paperwork a homeowner would.
Your Insurance Claim: What to Gather and What to Expect
Your insurer will need the crime reference number, a list of what was taken, and evidence of what it was worth. A contents claim is mostly a paperwork exercise, and how good your list is largely decides how smoothly it goes. Damage to the building itself may fall under buildings insurance instead, so check which policy covers what before you start.
Building the List of What Was Taken
Go room by room rather than relying on memory, and keep adding to the list over several days.
| Item | Make and model | Age | Serial number | Proof held |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Note serial numbers and identifying marks, because they are how recovered property gets back to its owner. Proof of ownership often already exists: bank statements, online order histories, warranty registrations, and home photographs that happen to show the item. Receipts may be requested for higher-value items. Keep adding for a fortnight, as things in drawers surface late, and send later serial numbers to the police too.
What a Loss Adjuster Is Looking For
A loss adjuster assesses the claim on the insurer's behalf, and on a straightforward household claim that is mostly a check of your paperwork. An adjuster may be appointed on larger claims and may or may not visit.
They will usually want to see: - proof the theft was reported to the police - evidence of forced entry, or of how entry was gained - your list of what was taken - whatever proof of ownership you have
Pre-repair photographs and the damaged lock kept in a bag answer the forced entry question without relying on being believed. Some policies set conditions on external door and window locks, and requirements vary by insurer, door type and policy, so read yours rather than guessing.
Compensation: What the Criminal Injuries Scheme Does and Does Not Cover
The criminal injuries compensation scheme covers injury, not stolen or damaged property. GOV.UK says compensation is available if you were physically or mentally injured, or were the victim of sexual assault, and it lists no category for property. A burglary while the household was out is therefore a matter for your insurer, not for compensation. A householder who was at home and was physically or mentally injured may be eligible, though.
| Covers | Does not cover |
|---|---|
| Physical or mental injury from a violent crime | Stolen belongings or property damage |
Either way, the crime must be reported to the police before you apply, and you usually have to claim within 2 years of the crime. GOV.UK has the details.
Your Rights as a Victim Under the Victims' Code
The Victims' Code sets out twelve rights for anyone who reports a crime in England and Wales. They apply from the moment you report and come with a complaints route. Victim Support publishes a plain summary; the ones that matter most after a burglary are below.
The Rights That Matter Most Right Now
The first is the right to have the details of the crime recorded without unjustified delay, and that is the right that gets you your reference number.
| Right | What it means for you |
|---|---|
| To have the details of the crime recorded without unjustified delay | Something to point to if your report is not being taken |
| To be provided with information when reporting the crime | Your reference number and what happens next |
| To be referred to services that support victims | Help you may not know exists, explained below |
| To be provided with information about the investigation | The basis for asking for an update without feeling like a nuisance |
If any of these are not met, the Code also gives you the right to make a complaint. That goes to the force first.
How to Be Referred to Victim Support
The police can refer you, or you can contact Victim Support yourself without a referral. Referral is one of your twelve rights, so asking is not a favour. Support covers emotional and practical help, including insurance forms and, in some areas, door or window repairs or alarm fitting. The service is free and independent of the police.
Victim Support: 08 08 16 89 111 (emotional and practical support after a crime; check current opening hours on the Victim Support website).
In the Weeks After: Feeling Settled at Home Again
The practical side is usually finished long before the house feels normal again, and that is ordinary. Below are where to find support and a few practical changes that help.
Support Available to You and How to Get It
Three routes are available: Victim Support, your GP if poor sleep or anxiety carry on, and Independent Age for older readers. Support is there whatever was or was not taken, and household members who were out, including children, can be included. Calling about a specific task, such as an insurance form, is as good a reason to ring as any.
| Organisation | What they help with | Contact |
|---|---|---|
| Victim Support | Emotional and practical support after a crime | 08 08 16 89 111 |
| Your GP | Sleep or anxiety that persists | Your usual surgery |
| Independent Age | Advice and support for older people | Through the Independent Age website |
Practical Changes That Help a House Feel Settled
This is about how the house feels to you, not a list of security upgrades. A few things genuinely help:
- Replacing a lock that was forced, even after repair, so the door is not a daily reminder.
- Checking that the other external doors actually lock.
- Checking that the window locks work and are being used.
- Getting the keys back to a known, counted set.
If you want to understand more, read about which door locks meet insurance requirements or anti-snap cylinders. None of it needs doing in the first week.
Getting Your Home Secure in Runcorn
Runcorn Locksmith boards damaged doors and windows, repairs or replaces forced locks, and changes cylinders where keys cannot be accounted for. Emergency calls are taken 24 hours a day, every day of the year, including nights, weekends and bank holidays. [PROVIDER PACK: DBS check status of technicians] [PROVIDER PACK: public liability insurance details] Every job is priced on the call from what you describe, and you are told before work begins if anything changes. You pay for the work carried out, any parts needed, and VAT. Rates outside Monday to Friday, 7am to 6pm, are higher, but the call-out itself is never charged.
To talk to a Runcorn locksmith, call Runcorn Locksmith on 01928 611001, or read more about our emergency locksmith call-out.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I have to report a burglary to the police?
If you want to claim, in practice yes: insurers often need a police report as proof of theft, and the crime reference number is usually their first question. Reporting also brings your Victims' Code rights. Use 999 if anyone may still be there, otherwise 101 or online.
Can I clean up after a burglary?
Use light switches, door handles and your rooms as normal. Leave the point of entry, fluids, footprints and anything the intruder handled until the police have finished, and ask when you report it how long that will be. Photograph anything before moving it.
Should I change my locks after a burglary?
If any key cannot be accounted for, yes: a repaired door with the old cylinder still opens for anyone holding a taken key. Count every key first. On a uPVC door the cylinder can usually be changed on its own.
Will my insurance pay for the emergency door repair?
Usually, according to the Association of British Insurers, but cover varies by insurer, policy and level of cover. Photograph the damage, keep receipts, and ask whether your insurer requires its own contractor.
How do I find someone trustworthy to make the house secure?
Look for a business that prices on the call, tells you before work starts if that changes, and is clear about out-of-hours rates. Our guide on how to choose a locksmith you can trust lists the questions to ask.
Can I claim criminal injuries compensation for stolen property?
No. The scheme covers physical or mental injury and sexual assault, not property, so belongings are a matter for your insurer. If you were at home and injured you may be eligible; report the crime first and claim within the usual 2 years.
I rent my home. Who pays for the broken door and lock?
The landlord is normally responsible for external doors, windows and locks; your contents insurance covers your belongings. Check your tenancy agreement, tell your landlord promptly, agree any lock change in writing first, and if you are a council or housing association tenant, start with the repairs line.
Still have a question or need urgent assistance? Call 01928 611001, tell us what has happened and receive a current arrival estimate.