ONE IN FOUR men sleep with a hurley under the bed and eight in ten women sleep with their mobile phone beside the bed, according to a survey from eircom PhoneWatch.

The figures emerged as the survey concluded that Irish householders are more concerned about the chance of their home being burgled than they were a year ago.

The Irish Security Attitude Index found that 43 per cent of those surveyed had added a home security feature to their residence and that 92 per cent of those felt more secure because of it. Over four in ten homes who already had a security feature have added an additional one in the past 12 months. The most popular devices were:

• Security and internal lights – 59 per cent
• Additional door and window locks – 54 per cent
• CCTV – 36 per cent
• Monitored alarms  - 24 per cent

Eight out of ten people surveyed believed a dog or neighbourly concern are as effective in deterring a burglary as leaving the lights or radio on. Neighbourhood Watch schemes are popular – one in three reported being a member of one – but even more so were ad hoc arrangements between neighbours to keep an eye on each other’s property when one is absent (seven in ten do this).

Almost half of all people now actually turn their home alarm on when they leave – but only 9 per cent use it when they are in the house with others, and only 29 per cent turn it on when they are at home alone.

Do you have a home alarm – and if you do, do you use it?