Elf and Safety!

As the festive season descends, unfortunately so do the opportunist thieves. Christmas time is big business for burglars who know that houses will be filling up with high value items. Don’t get caught out this season and take our advice on having a merry Christmas whilst staying safe.

Add a dash of common sense…

After a successful shopping trip, don’t be tempted to leave expensive gifts in the boot of your car. Hiding gifts can be difficult but you never know who has been watching, so take the gifts inside. Also be careful to dispose of any packaging carefully, you don’t want to advertise your new flat screen TV to a burglar.

Boasting on social media is never a good look! Furthermore you don’t know who is watching your account. So whilst the husband may have done good and gifted you with a dazzling new watch, don’t post it on Facebook, it is good enough that you “like” it.

Window Shopping…

An open window is basically an invitation for burglars to help themselves. If you get a little hot whilst cooking the turkey, fit window restrictors to prevent them from being pulled open further.

Open Invitation…

Festive gatherings can get a little noisy and whilst you might assume there is safety in numbers, a Christmas party could be the perfect opportunity for a burglar to slip under the radar and relieve you of your perfect presents. Ensure the doors are locked both front and back.

Christmas Lights

Burglars prefer the shadows and an external security light often deters unsavoury characters. Make them feel a little more uncomfortable with a few additions to your outside lights. However never run a cable through a window which could prevent it from closing properly.

And finally…

Christmas safety not only concerns burglars, there is also an increased risk of fire. Ensure you always turn any fairy lights off and blow out any candles before you go to bed or leave the house. Also take care not to overload sockets. Place paper decorations well away from heaters, fireplaces or other open flames.

A real Christmas tree is the centre piece of many homes over the festive season, but it can also be a fire hazard. Never buy a tree where the needles are already dropping, the tree is dry and could be a fire hazard. Avoid drying out your tree by regular watering and not putting it up too early.