When You're Away

Consider the following points before you leave your home unattended :

• Remember to cancel any milk or newspaper deliveries.

• Cut the lawn and tidy the garden before you go.

• Don't put your home address on luggage labels when travelling to your destination.

• If possible get a trusted friend or neighbour to look after your home while you're away. Ask them to collect your post, draw your curtains at night and open them in the mornings, and generally make the place look lived in. Be prepared to do the same for them.

• Avoid discussing holiday plans where strangers may hear details of your absence from home.

• Consider leaving important documents and valuable items with other family members or lodging them in a bank, or lock them away in a safe.

• If you normally leave valuable pedal cycles, tools or similar items in your shed, consider taking them into the house.