Britain's homeowners risk losing more than £36m worth of presents in burglaries this Christmas.
But despite this risk, three quarters of British homeowners take no extra security precautions against crime at Christmas.
New research from Norwich Union, the Christmas Crime study, shows that each household in the UK will spend £520 on presents, on average, and up to 70,000 households could be burgled during the festive season.
The study finds that burglars are often after more than just Christmas presents, with cash the most commonly stolen item from homes.
To help people protect themselves and their property, Norwich Union has produced a guide called Crack Christmas Crime.
The guide, written in conjunction with the National Neighbourhood Watch Association, gives homeowners tips about how to make their homes safer throughout the year.
These include: security-marking expensive gifts or taking photographs for identification and insurance purposes; keeping presents out of view by positioning the Christmas tree away from the window; telling neighbours you are away and asking them to keep an eye on your home; and checking that the burglar alarm is activated whenever the house is left empty.
Norwich Union Insurance market development manager Jill Willis said: "Christmas is a time of giving, but during the festive season high value presents, food, alcohol and other provisions are particularly at risk of burglary.
"To avoid being another burglary victim, homeowners need to be extra vigilant about home security."
For a free copy of Norwich Union's Crack Christmas Crime guide, call 0800 028 0939.
