Coded messages on the driveway

There was an interesting story in Saturday's Daily Telegraph about the experiences of an elderly couple in Plymstock, Devon.

Picture courtesy of Telegraph.co.uk

They agreed to have their driveway repaved by a trader who knocked on the door offering his services.  Using different coloured bricks, a pattern was laid into the paving as part of the works; although this had not been requested, they accepted the explanation that it was simply to improve the visual appearance.

However, over the next few years the couple were continually approached by all manner of people offering various services (including finishing off the drive, which had not been completed properly in the first place).  The suspicion, supported by the local Police, is that the pattern was in fact a deliberate marking to identify a potential 'soft target' for the benefit of other rogue traders.

If you extend the logic, similar indicators could be used to mark properties (either at the location of the driveway or nearby) where potential access points have been noted and targetted for burglary.

The simple message would seem to be to think twice about who you engage to work in and around your home; cold-callers who knock at the door are possibly not the wisest choice.