The festive season is just about upon us, and many of us will be busy buying and wrapping presents in preparation for the big day. Unfortunately it's also a busy time for burglars, and recent research has shown burglaries increase by 63% during winter. This figure has increased during the last few years which may be down to the recession. With most of us still planning to splurge on Christmas goodies now is a great time to review your home security.

Check out your insurance policy to make sure you are covered for the extra spend, as some policies increase the amount insured during the Christmas period. Although it's tempting to display all those beautifully wrapped presents underneath the Christmas tree, do check to make sure they aren't visible from the outside as most burglaries are opportunistic. If you're out and about a lot during the festive period try to make your empty home look occupied by investing in automatic timer switches or leaving a few lights on. It may seem obvious but make sure all windows and doors are locked when you leave the home as Home Office statistics show one fifth of burglaries don't require any force to enter the home.

And finally a serial burglar recently gave his top tips for avoiding being burgled to a national newspaper after finally being caught and sentenced. These include getting a dog, having a shingled drive or path which creates noise, investing in outside lighting, especially motion sensor lighting, using anti-climb paint and getting an alarm box or CCTV. This particular burglar had apparently entered at least 70 homes during the last five years and didn't have to force entry, and always chose homes which lacked any of the above deterrents.