“It’s the most, wonderful time, of the year!”, and no doubt about it! Nevertheless, we still hear the occasional sorry story, like the theft of a charity’s knitted nativity scene raffle prize and the charity who found the top of their decorated fir had been lanced off and taken home to decorate someone’s living room. It’s a reminder that we still need to take appropriate precautions to minimise the risk to our homes, possessions and happiness.

Our popular blog about leaving your home secure gives some useful, practical evergreen advice, and here we give some seasonal tips to keep your ho-ho-home secure at this festive period too.

  • Don’t splash your cash! Keep gifts out of sight- both from the street and also from your social media profiles. It may be a very pretty pile, but it’s tempting for robbers, and you just don’t know who might be looking. Even if it’s just a packet of socks and a box of smellies, a criminal may well be willing to take a chance a nab a wrapped gift to see if they hit the jackpot.
  • It pays NOT to advertise. This is the time of year when thieves will be watching the contents of your waste bin with interest. Consider keeping the packaging from big ticket, expensive items out of the bin until collection day- or at least make an effort to hide them at the bottom of a pile.
  • Maintain an air of mystery. Be careful what you share on social media. Out for the night at a Christmas party? We hope you have a blast, but avoid posting your plans or photos of the fun until you’re safely home, so you’re less likely to find you’ve had unwelcome visitors on your return.
  • Look out for suspicious activity. Thieves may well be scoping the neighbourhood and we’ve heard local reports of strangers knocking on doors, with unlikely excuses. Consider reporting unsolicited visits to the police on the non emergency number (101), and they’ll do a sweep of the neighbourhood, deterring potential criminals.
  • Don’t leave notes. When expecting deliveries, try to arrange contingencies with the mail company or a neighbour, rather than leave a note on your door. These advertise to people passing that you’re not in- and that your house is unoccupied. Beware!

By taking a few, sensible precautions, you can greatly reduce your risk of theft. We wish you a safe, joyful and peaceful Christmas.