Say yes to cheaper van, home and car insurance

The British Insurance Brokers Association (Biba) has issued a warning to homeowners that a burglary takes on average just three minutes to complete.

This disturbing news comes as part of its campaign to raise awareness about burglaries during the Christmas period, after it discovered that too many Britons believed that it could never happen to them.

Peter Staddon, head of technical services at Biba, said: "The problem with Christmas is that a lot of people go away and will invariably have all the presents out, which is something they should be aware of."

As well as hiding the presents away, Mr Staddon urged the public to "look at ways of making the burglar go next door or down the road" by making sure that the access to their house isn't clouded by rubbish or bushes or anything that would obscure their entrance as this could provide burglars with cover.

He also recommended installing burglar alarms and security lights to deter would-be thieves. "Remember burglars 'case the joint', as they say and if they are not sure then they will move on," Mr Straddon added.

Biba's warning arrives at the same time as those from home insurance companies, who advise consumer to make sure that their content cover extends to include all of their Christmas gifts, just in case the worst should happen.

© Adfero Ltd