Opening locks in London
July 30, 2025
If you are wondering how Locksmiths open locks in London - We can provide some insight.
Opening Locks in London isn't always the easiest job. Locksmiths can attest to this when they come across a particularly badly jammed BS Deadlock. Same can be said for many high security lock situations or even simple ones in difficult environments. Locksmiths have spent many a dark, wet night picking open, or attempting bypass methods on a particularly old cylinder/ lock.
We can help in the case of a lock-out in London. If you have hopes for doing it yourself, we have provided some insight into your chances of success.
A locksmiths job in the case of a lockout situation is to gain access to your property with as little damage as possible (always attempting NDE first) in as little time and the best cost to the customer.
When it comes to locks in London there are a few methods a locksmith can attempt in order to open your lock. Depending on the lock there may be a specific tool developed to bypass the lock - available only to locksmiths. In the case of most basic locks there are often multiple options to bypass locks - again this will depend on the situation. The Locksmith can attempt to pick the lock depending on the type of lock and situation - this may often be the more expensive option as it takes more skill than simply drilling a lock. Often different locks will require different picking tools, different locksmiths will also use tools that suit there particular picking style.
Now that we have mentioned it we will touch on that subject as well. Drilling locks should only be attempted by someone familiar with the insides of the lock. In most cases the lock will only have to be drilled if it is jammed (failed component) and this will mean if you don't know where to drill, you may end up with a very large hole in your door and still being locked out. Being familiar with the lock means being familiar with the parts that are susceptible to failure and how to bypass that failure without needing to cause damage.
Here we will go through the most common locks used on front doors in London and how a locksmith may go about opening your door for you. Bare in mind that we can't go into too much detail as we don't want to assist the wrong type of people with the wrong intentions. We will however cover a few very basic lockout situations so that at the very least we can provide some security tips.
1 - Nightlatch
These are by far the most common door lock in London.
They can be divided into two subsets - High security and Non high security.
A - Regular nightlatches
- the "basic" ones can often be bypassed by lock slipping. We go into lock slipping in more detail in this blog post, so if you're interested in getting into your house after letting the door shut behind you, this may help. Basic Nightlatches require only one small drill point to bypass the plug. In rare cases the locksmith will have to drill the cylinder or lock, but this will be with minimal damage to the lock and no damage to the door or your property.
As these types of locks should always be double locked when leaving the property with the key, or an additional 5 Lever lock utilised on the door, this should only be possible when you simply let the door shut behind you and forgot the keys. The door should always be secured by a form of deadlock to ensure burglars can't slip your lock too.
B - High security Nightltaches
- The high security deadlocks auto-deadlock their latch. This means that if you have one of these, and the door has shut behind you, it's best to call a locksmith. There is no simple trick to bypass these, like it says on the tin, these are also anti pick and often have more components than regular Nightlatches making them more complicated. Locksmiths will be forced to pick the lock or bypass it in a different way with specialist locksmith tools if he is to avoid damaging the lock.
2. Opening UPVC Front door locks
These also come in two main categories as well. Split spindle and straight spindle - for the layman - the handle works on the outside v handle not working from the outside.
A -
If you have a UPVC (plastic) door and you can open your door without needing a key, the only time you will get locked out is if you lose your key. If you have lost your key and have a high security cylinder, again, best bet is to call a locksmith. Using trade only tools he may be able to bypass your lock and can attempt to pick it first. Keep in mind that this is a job that requires skill and experience so attempting to open the door yourself can be risky and cause more issues for the locksmith to solve when he arrives.
B -
The auto latch UPVC door. These are fairly common and require a key to open the door from the outside as the handle alone won't open the door, only retract the bolts. Keep in mind that from the inside of the property you can operate the lock and latch with only the handle. This can lock you out if you pop out to take the rubbish or even to grab a quick food delivery. The handle will go down when pressed down, but it won't open the door. In this situation you can try either the lock slipping method mentioned in our previous blog post - or with a coat hanger through the letterbox to pull the handle down. This method should only work if it's accidentally closed behind you.
Always lift the handle when you leave your house and turn the key the full way around to ensure your property is secured. Just leaving without locking the door is very risky.
Drilling this lock is slightly harder than drilling a Nightlatch cylinder as you have to know precisely how deep to drill as well as the correct spot. If you drill too deep and hit the ring holding the cam onto the lock body - it will disengage and you'll have to completely bypass the cam, often needing custom tools. A lot of times you will also have to pull out the plug completely, this will have to be done without removing the cam, often a headache.
3. Opening deadlocks in London
These types of lockouts usually occur when keys are lost or broken. As such these are a lot less common in terms of lockouts because a deadlock can't lock itself. You have to turn the key (or the knob on the inside) to fully lock this lock. In these cases we can only advise calling a locksmith. If it happens to be a bedroom door - a 3 lever deadlock and you happen to be very handy with tools, you may be able to pick it open with a clothes hangar. This will require a few hours of watching Youtube videos and then practicing with no guarantee of success. The locksmith will always be successful - avoiding one of the major pitfalls of DIY.
If however it's a front door - definitely call a locksmith. These are often BS 5 Lever deadlocks and they are notoriously difficult to open, even by drilling.
If you're locked out in London, take a minute to go through this blog post as it could save you money. If it's a situation for a professional it's always best to choose the right professional. That being said our mission is simple, we want to be able to open anything without the key or the original tool made to open it - always attempting NDE first. Regardless of which of our locksmith services you require, you can rely on the team at SMS London Locksmiths to provide a high quality, efficient and very professional service.
The opinion of an expert locksmith can pay for itself time and time again. We have been to many situations where the customer has wasted hours of their own precious time and the locksmiths will solve the situations within the hour with all security requirements upheld. Our team of locksmiths have the inside knowledge of what works and what doesn’t when it comes to opening locks and improving the security of your premises.. Quite often the cheap option can prove to be much more expensive in the long run, so be sure to call upon SMS London Locksmiths today - even if its just for advice.
SMS Locksmiths: We are your 24-hour Emergency London Locksmith
In the event of lost keys, broken locks, damage to doors or locks caused by attempted burglary or your door has simply shut behind you, our 24-hour emergency locksmith response ensures there’s always help when you need it most.
SMS Locksmith provides a fast, reliable service. Our 24h emergency response team delivers quality repairs and emergency lock services as well as window lock repairs & installations, emergency gain access and preventative security solutions to put your mind at rest.
24h Emergency response for peace of mind in every situation
Locked yourself out? Recently suffered a break-in or attempted break-in? Lost your keys or had a bag stolen? Electronic or key locks or safes failing to open? Need a quick lock repair or replacement, even in the middle of the night?
We pride ourselves on providing a high quality locksmith service in London as is evidenced by our raving reviews. We are known for our proficient and economical services and much of our work comes from personal recommendation.
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