A key safe expert David Ogden, CEO and Founder of The Key Safe Company has issued security advice to homeowners following several key box breaches reported in Worcestershire.
Cars were stolen from driveways in Droitwich and Drakes Broughton after thieves broke into key boxes to gain access to the front door keys to the corresponding properties.
A resident in Droitwich also contacted West Mercia Police on the same morning after they caught two men, wearing black masks and black hoods, closely inspecting the key box attached to their property.
The two men quickly left the scene empty handed.
The force issued guidance following the incidents on Tuesday 10 February 2026.
Access management pioneer David Ogden, who introduced the concept of storing a key in a safe on the outside of a building to enable key sharing amongst family members and service providers alike, has gone further by urging homeowners to choose wisely when purchasing a device for the safe storage of keys at the point of need.
Mr Ogden, Founder and CEO of Worcester-based The Key Safe Company, which is pushing for better industry standards and accreditation for all key safes sold in the UK and around the world, says there is a clear difference between robust key safes that are tested to withstand sustained, brute force attack and lightweight key boxes that are not tested or certificated, can be forced open in seconds and are suitable for inside use only.
He said: “There really is a stark difference in the level of security independently tested key safes offer compared to unaccredited key boxes.
“Key safes actually keep keys safe, while key boxes are essentially just a box with very little security.
“Key boxes are increasingly being targeted by car thieves because they know which models can be easily compromised.
“This, in turn, allows criminals simple access to a person’s home and ultimately, their car keys.
“Car keys can fetch thousands of pounds on the black market, in addition to the cars themselves.
“A stolen car without the keys – often achieved by using radio transmitting equipment to boost the wireless key to obtain a vehicle – is not as valuable to organised crime gangs.
“For this reason, it’s never been so important to exercise caution and to only buy police preferred key safes that have the Secured By Design logo on them and are sold by a reputable supplier.”
Secured By Design is an official UK Police security initiative which certifies products proven to reduce crime.
Only products that have passed stringent and independent physical attack testing, primarily to the LPS 1175 (Issue 8) standard, are endorsed by Secured By Design.
Conducted by the Loss Prevention Certification Board (LPCB), these tests simulate real-world, forced-entry attempts using tools like drills, saws and pry bars to ensure robust security.
Hazel Goss MBE, Development Officer, Secured by Design and a retired police officer commented: “It is paramount when using security products for people to look for the Secured by Design Logo and a ‘Police Preferred Specification’, because this offers reassurance that these products have been independently tested by a third party and are fit for purpose.
“Always check that a company is listed with us (by visiting this link). If they are not listed they are not members.”
Ogden added: “Naturally, thieves want to be in and out in the blink of an eye.
“They want speedy entry to a key box and the adjoining property so they can make off with car keys and any other possessions in no time.
“The last thing they want is to be met by time-consuming and attention-grabbing resistance, which is what a sturdier key safe offers.
“Key safes accredited by Secured By Design are able to withstand attacks and that is going to deter any criminal, whether they’re armed with hand tools or not.
“Anyone buying a key safe should always take notice of what the device is made of and what features it may have.
“Those constructed of zinc alloy offer far greater security.
“Some key safes have a steel internal vault and nitride anti-saw pins, to offer further protection against malicious attacks and coned-hinge pins to prevent drilling.
“These are strong features to look out for.
“Key safes of this kind, which can’t easily be forced open or smashed off the wall, should be located in a prominent position, in plain sight of passers-by, so that anyone who tries to breach them can be seen from the road, by CCTV and Ring door camaras.
“All accredited Key safes have to come with incredibly strong fixings to achieve high attack standards meaning they are very difficult to remove from a wall and to breach in a different location.
“Once a criminal tries to open one of these, it will soon bring unwanted attention to them with the noise involved and put them off trying again.”
