1. Don’t leave Christmas presents piled up below the Christmas tree to tempt thieves.
2. Dispose of packaging carefully. Don’t have a huge pile of Amazon cartons visible while waiting for recycling.
3. Don’t keep large amounts of cash in the house. Write cheques, or use online banking transfers, rather than give cash as presents.
4. Now we have shorter days and early dark nights, check side and back gates are secure and make sure you lock sheds.
5. Leave some lights on when you go out. Even better, invest in some simple, plug-in timer switches for lamps.
6. Double lock doors and keep them locked during the day. Lock windows whenever you leave the house.
7. Check what is visible through glass front doors and don’t leave keys in sight. Be aware of the possibility of “letter box fishing”.
8. If you go away, ask neighbours to keep an eye on your property… bring your bins in on collection day and pick up / push through post for you.
9. Think about home security systems. New products are available (video doorbells, single CCTV cameras etc) which are simple and much cheaper than traditional solutions.
10. Be careful of social media… don’t advertise if you are going away or post photos of your Christmas gifts / purchases.
11. Fraudsters don’t stop for Christmas… enrol in the free Which scam alert service to receive regular emails with advice and details of the latest scams.
12. Finally… please keep an eye out for your neighbours, especially those who might be isolated or vulnerable.
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