Christmas is a good time to consider installing security devices in the home to deter burglars, one expert has claimed.
Andrew Lowe, head of home insurance at Direct Line, said that in addition to taking “simple” security measures, households can also deter thieves by ensuring they take steps to avoid leaving items on display.
The expert suggested that most thieves are “opportunists” and so many burglaries occur when Christmas gifts such as electrical goods are “left in view of passers by”.
LV= recently reported that 68 per cent of homes in the UK leave expensive items, including TVs, PCs, jewellery and antiques on display.
Some 250,000 households claimed that the value of their property visible from outside was estimated to exceed £35,000, the firm noted.
Martin Milliner, spokesperson for LV=, urged homeowners to close their curtains and blinds at this time of year to hide their possessions.