Many people love prepping for Christmas by wrapping all their presents and leaving them under the tree ready for December 25.
A recent poll revealed 43% of those surveyed leave presents under the tree before Christmas Eve. But police have warned households not to do this in advance for a very sad reason.
Police said visible presents on display before the big day were a "temptation for opportunist burglars." Cambridgeshire Constabulary reported a rise in 'chance' burglaries throughout the winter months, leading them to advise "leaving present deliveries to Santa" on Christmas Eve.
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Detective Sergeant Justin Parr said: “With the Christmas festivities upon us, it’s so important to ensure your home is protected to the best ability from burglars. Avoid putting presents under the tree until Christmas morning. Instead, keep them in closed wardrobes or cupboards, or underneath beds. That way they are not visible from outside."
Other advice includes not putting plans to go away on social media, breaking down gift boxes into a bin rather than beside it and closing your curtains and leaving a light or radio on.
How to protect your home this Christmas
Make sure gifts and valuable possessions are out of sight and away from windows, and don’t leave keys where they could be 'fished' through the letterbox.
Lock doors, close windows and set your burglar alarm, if you have one, every time you go out, day or night.
If you have outside Christmas lights and you’re feeding the cable through a window, make sure it can’t be prised open. Use battery or solar-powered lights if possible.
If you're out of the house for an evening or you’re going away for a few days, beware advertising your absence on social media. Burglars use sites such as Facebook, Twitter and Instagram to determine when homes might be empty.
If you're going away for an extended period, check your contents and your buildings insurance. If your property is empty for more than 30 days at a stretch, your cover may be invalidated, so you’d need an additional policy.
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