New Year Burglary Warning From Police

Don't let burglars burst your bubble this Christmas - that's the message from West Yorkshire Police today. They want us all to be aware that homes full of prezzies are prime for pilfering - and bear in mind that we shouldn't advertise that fact. Chris Joyce is the force crime prevention officer, "the darker nights are upon us now and people are out more often, there's more things in the property. We want to encourage people to not forget their home security during the festive season really, it's extrememly important. "Make sure the packaging from some attractive items that people might be buying, whether it's electronic goods and not left beside bins, advertising what we've got in our homes. "It's really important to make sure that your home looks occupied even when you are out and you can use timer switches to do that that'll bring your lights on while you're out and about. But make sure you vary the times that they come on and the lamps that they're on. Just a few things can really make that difference. "Sometimes we just need to get into the habit around our homes of doing things slightly differently really. it's the simple things: lock your door, don't leave your keys in the lock and certainly don't leave the keys on view in your kitchen or in reach of a letterbox or a catflap or anything like that."