AS CHRISTMAS approaches, many people will be stocking their homes with the latest must-have accessories and jewellery.

However this provides thieves with the ‘perfect incentive’ to commit burglaries.

Officers of the South Flintshire policing team have issued advice to help residents protect their homes over the Christmas period.

A spokesman said: “The weeks up to Christmas are the biggest shopping weeks of the year. Stocking our homes with the latest electronic gadgets, computers, jewellery and must-have accessories is commonplace, unfortunately though it provides thieves with the perfect incentive to commit burglaries.”

Here are the safety tips police have issued that will help keep your home secure over Christmas and New Year:

Festive lighting:

A common mistake of many festive decorators is to feed extension cables through partially open windows. Criminals know to look for this vulnerability. Opt for solar or battery operated lights or install outdoor electrical outlets.

Gift Wrapping:

Dispose of gift packaging carefully. If you can’t take packaging to a recycling point, make sure you only put your rubbish out just before collection and/or do your best to break apart boxes so not to advertise your new goods to thieves.

Home Alone:

Be careful not to advertise your empty home to burglars on social media. Social media users often publish their whereabouts during the festive season, including holiday plans, which can be a tool for burglars to scout targets. If you’re going away use timer switches and if possible ask a neighbour to park on the driveway to create the impression someone is home.

Hide and Seek:

Burglars know to look for hidden door keys so don’t hide spare keys under rocks, flowerpots or above door ledges. Give the spare key to family or a trusted neighbour. Use an alarm system and make sure it is activated and protecting your home.

Window Shopping:

Don’t tempt thieves by leaving presents on display. Make sure your home is secure and lock up every time you leave.

Register your gifts on immobilise.com:

Most consumer electrical items have a unique identification code such as a serial number or for the mobile phones an IMEI number. If your gift doesn’t have a unique identifier there are several affordable marking kits available allowing the police to easily identify the owners to items they recover from criminals.