Whilst Christmas shopping remember to close windows and lock your car securely.  Try not to return to your car part-way through your trip to leave your shopping but if you have to then take care that nobody is watching you, store your shopping in the boot rather than leaving it on display and park in a secure well-lit area 

Don’t tempt burglars by leaving Christmas presents in view of windows at home 

Dispose of empty boxes and packaging carefully and don’t leave it on show outside your house so that burglars can see what you’ve been buying  

Security mark your valuables and register them free of charge on www.immobilise.com so that they can be identified if they are stolen  

Keep your doors and windows at home locked at all times and don’t leave keys near to letterboxes where they can be fished.  

If you’re having parcels delivered and won’t be at home when they arrive, arrange for them to be delivered to a collection point or an alternative address instead to avoid having parcels stolen from your doorstep, consider installing a video doorbell or CCTV 

Whilst your home is unattended in the evening close curtains and leave a light on or use timer switches or smart bulbs to give the impression that somebody is at home, consider installing an intruder alarm  

If you’re going away over Christmas plan ahead – cancel any deliveries, perhaps let a neighbour park on your driveway so it looks like somebody is at home, and don’t post about your holiday on social media until you return.