are we security conscious enough.?

Oh Auntieflo I did that last year when we had to go into rented accomodation after the fire. It was a Victorian terrace, front door straight onto the street, car parked directly outside. Keys left in front door overnight on a Saturday.

They could have stolen what few possessions we had left and loaded them into our car. Never lived that down.

During IRA years I went to a TGI Friday's with friends, asked to open my handbag, Security Guard just glanced into my large bag & said that's ok.

I did Jury Service a few years ago at the Royal Courts of Justice where we had to walk through a scanner & bags scanned. My coat had metal buttons which often set it off so they'd use a hand held scanner to check everything was ok. However after 2 & half weeks my bag showed an item in it, a small knife which had been in all along (I'd forgotten it was there) in case I wanted to put soft cheese on crackers

I have frequently returned home & found door/doors unlocked or when I get up in the morning

You are forgiven Anya I am guilty of that myself on occasion.

One Christmas Eve, with the family here overnight (six extra adults, pre grandchildren), we left all the presents, handbags, suitcases etc piled up in the hall to save space elsewhere and all settled down to sleep upstairs. With the front door unlocked. Again, Victorian terrace, straight out to the street. Somebody could have had themselves a very merry little Christmas at our expense.

A colleague once, after a boozy night out, put the dog out and brought the cat in. As she said, though, the dog would have been okay if only he'd had opposable thumbs, as she'd left the key in the door outside.

my parents once were woken up with a man standing at their bedroom door... local bobby noticed keys in the door and went in to make sure they were ok!!

My husband usually keeps his G Granddad's penknife in his pocked 'just in case' he says it is handy for doing odd jobs. He forgot about it and was searched....'Ello, ello, ello, what's this ere?' He convinced them that he was not 'going equipped' for anything but he had to leave it at the checking in desk just the same.

My house is like Fort Knox, even when we are in. He locks all the doors and it drives me mad if I am in the garden working then cannot get in because he has locked the door.

I have to say that I think handbag searches are more for show/public reassurance than any "real" device checking, and any real terrorists won't find it any sort of deterrent

I think they are using a lot of intelligance like super-recognisers in crowds etc and are doing a good job

handbag searches = IMO a platitude to give us a sense of security, and I'ld be more worried by that

Well I'd rather have them than not