What Is Lock Snapping? A Leeds Locksmith's Guide
By Ben Gatenby, Locksmith and owner of
Three weeks ago, I was called out to a house in Horsforth where a burglar had snapped the euro cylinder on a five-year-old composite door in under a minute. The homeowner had no idea the lock fitted by their door installer wasn't anti-snap rated, most people don't, until it's too late.
That's the story behind most of the call-outs I get for this. So, here's what lock snapping actually is, how it works, why it's still catching people out in Leeds, and what you can do to prevent it.
What Is Lock Snapping?
Lock snapping is a method of forced entry that exploits a structural weakness in standard euro cylinder locks. Euro cylinders are fitted to the vast majority of uPVC and composite doors in the UK. In my experience, a good number of newer doors that people assume are already protected.
The multipoint locking system on a uPVC door is genuinely strong. The euro cylinder itself is very often the weakest point of the whole door, and lock snapping targets that weakness directly.
The technique was known to locksmiths way before burglars found out about it. Unfortunately, it's now just as well known to burglars, which is a real problem.
In 15+ years fitting and repairing locks across Leeds, I've attended hundreds of lock snapping burglaries. The pattern is nearly always the same, a standard cylinder, no star rating, no security handles and a resident who had no idea.
What Snapping Actually Looks Like: A Real Job
On the
That's the whole method. It takes very little skill, which is exactly why it's become so common.
Lock Snapping Statistics in Leeds
West Yorkshire Police's own Freedom of Information data
shows the scale of the problem, and the improvement: lock snapping burglaries
fell from 2,148 (plus 763 attempts) in 2014 to 677 (plus 207 attempts) in 2023,
as more homes fitted anti-snap locks.
That data stops at 2023. From what I'm seeing on the ground in 2026, call outs to lock snapping burglaries have calmed down a little due to the number of anti-snap locks now out there. However I still see many doors still fitted with standard non anti snap euro locks
Why Are So Many Leeds Doors Still Vulnerable?
Door manufacturers market the strength of the multipoint locking system, but the cylinder that comes supplied with the door is sometimes a basic component with no anti-snap protection at all. More new doors come with some form of anti-snap cylinder as standard now, but a new solid looking door is not proof of an anti snap lock fitted. I still find unprotected cylinders on doors installed within the last few years.
If you're not sure what's fitted on your own door, your welcome to send me a picture and tell you straight whether it needs upgrading.
How to Tell If Your Lock Can Be Snapped
How much cylinder is exposed?
If more than 3mm protrudes beyond the handle on the outside of the door, it's an easier target to grip. This is one of the most common installation oversights I see.
The star rating
Look for a star rating stamped on the face of the cylinder. A 3-star British Standard Kitemark rating means it's tested and rated anti-snap. No stars usually means a basic cylinder with no protection.
Not sure how secure your door is? Try our
How Do I Stop My Lock Being Snapped?
Upgrade from a standard euro cylinder to a quality anti-snap rated one. A good anti-snap cylinder is engineered so that if the outer section is snapped off, the lock drops into a secure mode instead of exposing the part of the lock mechanism needed to unlock the door. This means the door stays locked even with part of the cylinder gone.
It's a quick job, usually 10 minutes per lock.
If you want more details on which locks I recommend and why,
I've written up my top three picks based on 15 years of working with anti snap
locks. Read the guide on the
Where We Attend The Most Lock Snapping Jobs In Leeds
I cant speak for all locksmith companies in Leeds but I personally attend the most lock snapping burglaries in
Get Your Locks Checked
Don't wait until after a break-in. In over 15 years doing this job, I've never had a customer regret upgrading to anti snap locks but I’ve had plenty that have wished they'd done it sooner.