We understand that anybody seeing this on the news will be naturally worried about the message being conveyed. We agree that it is absolutely crucial to ensure that your door lock cylinder is of the highest standard to give yourself the best possible chance of protecting your home and valuables. However, the story as published is very short and therefore lacks the necessary detail to remove some of the ambiguity we believe it has implied.

The following is intended to provide our thoughts on this issue so that we can provide the facts from our perspective so that you have all the information to hand to take action if you wish to.

BACKGROUND:

This is not a new problem. The phenomenon of lock snapping has been around for years. Locksmiths have been using this method to gain entry through doors legitimately for many decades. Burglars latched onto this method in the early 2000s and it has been a problem for homeowners ever since.

In recognition of this, in 2006 we made the decision to only ever install snap resistant cylinders going forwards to all the doors we manufacture. We have stuck rigidly to this policy ever since. We currently fit the 3 star Ultion cylinder into all of our doors which is anti snap / anti bump / anti pick – and is the market leader.

It is fair to say that we have noticed a general upward trend in recent years with potential customers contacting us stating that they have had their home broken in to – siting ‘cylinder snapping’ as the method of entry. Finesse customers have always been one step ahead of this ever-increasing threat as their homes have been protected with our ‘snap resistant’ and latterly ‘anti snap’ locking cylinders. As technology has improved and cylinders have advanced we have always adopted the latest upgraded products into our standard product specification.

Lack of clarity:

The story as published is slightly unclear for two reasons:

1. It refers to the snapping of door and window locks together. The phenomenon of lock snapping is relevant to door lock ‘euro cylinders’ only and is not associated with window locks. We have asked Wolverhampton City Council to clarify their story so that we can better understand their concerns – but as yet we have not received a reply. We support their general message that homeowners need to make sure their window locks are of a high standard but we feel it is misleading to mix windows and door locks into the same message which specifically relates to ‘lock snapping’.
2. The story refers to checking ‘door locks’ whereas it would be much more helpful to refer to checking the ‘door lock cylinder’ specifically. The door lock (the metal strip that runs down the entire length of a UPVC door out of which the shootbolts emerge) and the door cylinder (the part of the door that you insert your key in to) are two completely separate components. The door cylinder is the crucial component in this equation. If the cylinder is of a high standard you are well protected. If the cylinder is very basic you are not protected, regardless of the specification of the door lock.

In summary, we want to reassure Finesse customers that all doors and windows manufactured and installed by us are of the highest standard regarding their resilience to attack. If you are a Finesse customer you can rest easy in the knowledge that you have invested in the best protection available for your home. Therefore this news story should be of little concern to you but please do call us if you have concerns. We would of course underline the message of the story that everybody must be extra vigilant – especially in the lead up to Christmas with the longer nights and shortened daylight hours. History tells us that this is the time of the year that people need to be most on their guard.

If you are reading this and you are not a Finesse customer we would be very happy to speak to you to discuss your concerns. We have the ability to upgrade your existing windows and doors to try to eliminate any potential areas of weakness if that is something you wish to consider. Alternatively we would be happy to provide you with a completely new solution if that was a better option for you.