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Is it true that burglaries shoot up over the Christmas period

00:00 Fri 21st Dec 2001 | Home & Garden

A.� On average burglaries rise over the weeks immediately before and after Christmas by over 20 per cent, according to Home Office statistics, with over 70,000 of us liable to be the victims of break-ins over the festive period.

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Q.� Why the dramatic rise

A.� There are two major factors. Firstly burglars obviously know there are liable to be expensive presents in the house, especially with the growing trend of people buying large, one-off items like computers and wide-screen televisions as gifts. In the run up to Christmas householders are also liable to have large amount of cash in their wallets for buying presents.

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The second is that so many people go away to visit relatives or enjoy Christmas abroad, meaning houses are empty for long periods and there are fewer neighbours around to keep an eye on things.

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Q.� So what can you do to deter burglars at this time of year

A.� All the usual security measures come into play such as window locks, burglar alarms and security lighting on the outside of the house. With many of us going out and having a good time at this time of year sometimes the most basic home security measures get over looked or forgotten when we stagger up to bed a little the worse for wear.

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However, there are specific precautions you can take at this time of year. Be careful when you put out the rubbish. The boxes that contained Johnny's new computer or granddad's DVD player are like adverts for what's on offer if you just stack them up outside the back gate. Try and bag them up or take them out at the last minute.

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Cash is another major incentive, so instead of taking out a huge dollop of cash that will lie around the house try and pay for as many things as possible by cheque or credit card.

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And make sure outhouses are secure. The garage or shed might be the perfect place to hide that new mountain bike until the time is right but they are often easier to break into than the house itself.

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Q.� What is the situation with household contents insurance

A. Amazingly, one in four households in the UK have no contents insurance at all, so if you are one of those you are running a big risk.

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Research by the Association of Insurers also shows that many of us don't have adequate cover. It is easy to take out a policy and then not review it for years, and if Christmas does involve being given expensive items you may find your cover is no longer adequate. Even the accumulation of CDs or designer clothes can soon add up.

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If you do have adequate cover for the rest of the year, many insurance companies automatically increase during the festive period. For instance, Eagle Star bump the cover up by �5,000 for December and January while others such as Direct Line, Legal and General and Sun Alliance add and extra 10 per cent to your existing policy.

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It is worth checking the small print of your policy and if you find yourself the happy owner of an expensive new piece of electrical kit or jewellery why not make a New Year's resolution to review your cover and raise it if necessary.

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If you've got a question about your home or garden, click here.

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By Tom Gard

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