Net curtains: the new weapon in fight against burglars

BRITS are fighting back to beat the burglars. Forget barbed wire or guard dogs, the latest low-tech safety device is a pair of net curtains.

It seems that the streets which house the most 'Net Curtain Nellies' (people with a propensity for nosying on neighbours from behind their net curtains) are some of the safest in the UK, claims laundry care specialist Dr. Beckmann, manufacturers of net curtain whitener, and Rightmove, the UK's most popular property website.

The net curtain may not be the must-have Noughties domestic fashion accessory and has long been the butt of music hall jokes but it seems the old fashioned British institution may now be having the last laugh.

Miles Shipside, commercial director at Rightmove said: "The early to mid 1900's saw the development of rows of terraced houses and lines of suburban semis, creating the need for greater privacy. Net curtains came to the rescue, stopping passers by looking in, yet allowing those inside to twitch their net curtains to one side to keep a nosy eye on what their neighbours were up to. With crime, a growing problem, the net curtain affords privacy and additional security from unwanted snoopers by preventing them from easily viewing the contents of your home."

Dr. Beckmann, the company that makes Net Curtain Whitener, says sales of of Net Curtain Whitener have increased by almost 20%, in the UK

Steven Simpson, spokesman for Dr. Beckmann, said:

"People are obviously realising that something as simple as a clean net curtain can be all that is needed to put off opportunist burglars from breaking into their home."

Last week police in Crouch End issued a bulletin advising residents to close their curtains to deter smash and grab burglars who might spot items through uncurtained windows and return under cover of darkness.

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