Home security warning ahead of the festive period

Home owners are warned to take extra care when it comes to their home security in the run up to, and during, the festive period as this is a notoriously popular time for thieves to strike. With each person in the UK thought to spend between £250 and £650 on average on Christmas gifts, there’s plenty of tempting items left under the tree during this time which will attract potential burglars. Recent figures have revealed that some 70,000 homes are likely to be targeted during the Christmas holiday. According to home insurance claims taken from the last 10 years from Aviva, New Year’s Eve is the date when homes are most likely to be burgled with properties being 22% more likely to be broken into on this date than on any other day of the year. Burglars take advantage of empty houses as people visit friends and family during this time, and also the fact that people are more likely to enjoy a drink during the festive period, and therefore may take a more lacks approach to home security. Three quarters of us admit to being more aware of the risk of a break in during this time of the year, but only 1 in 4 of us takes extra measures to secure our homes during the festive period. It’s advisable to check the level of your contents insurance during this time to ensure it covers the cost of new items you may have bought or received as Christmas presents.