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Here's how you can beat the burglars like a pro.

Driving home for Christmas? Amid the excitement of wrapping presents and writing cards, it's easy to neglect home security. Whatever festivities you have planned, deprive burglars of the opportunity to break into your home by getting organised.

'The Christmas and New Year period often mean one thing — getting out and about and enjoying all the festivities that the season has to offer,' say the experts at Yale. 'From family time spent at your parents' house, to nights out to ring in the new year, there are plenty of occasions where you'll be out of the house making up for lost time over the past year.'

As the nights draw in, the winter months can make it easier for burglars to target empty homes. Take a look at the simple things you can do to keep your property safe and secure below...

Heading home for the holidays? With many properties being left unoccupied over Christmas, it's vital that your front door is secure to prevent opportunistic attacks. According to ONS data, 76 per cent of household burglaries in England and Wales occurred by breaking in through the front door.

Deterring would-be criminals is one of the most effective forms of crime prevention. Some of the clever ways you can beat the burglars include installing a smart door lock, buying a home security system, and picking up products such as Yale's Platinum 3 Star Cylinder — which protects against cylinder attacks including anti-pick, anti-bump and anti-drill.

Many burglaries are preventable by taking a few simple steps, so why not consider an effective house alarm? According to Yale, installing an alarm system is the perfect way to deter burglars as the bell box on your property will tell them that you take home security seriously.

'As with smart door locks, a smart alarm is a perfect addition to your home, allowing you to monitor your property from your dinner table, over Christmas drinks or whilst you're away,' explain Yale.

'Along with being an effective visual deterrent, your smart alarm will also notify you if it's triggered directly to your smartphone, so you can suss out the scenario from any Christmas and New Year party you might be heading out to.'

Keep your property safe by monitoring what's happening outside with a connected camera — especially when you're not home. Security cameras, such as Smart Home CCTV Kits or video doorbells, enable you to remotely keep an eye on your home via your phone. Offering peace of mind, you can enjoy that delicious roast without worrying.

Yale also suggest: 'It's worth investing in a high-quality system that offers increased night vision, so you can be sure to keep an eye on your home at any time of the day or night.'

It might seem harmless, but sharing your location information on Instagram or Facebook can be risky because it tells potential thieves you're not at home. According to Yale, opportunists will often scope out social media pages for unsuspecting users who post where they are in real time. Want to tell everyone what you're up to? It's safer to wait until you get home.

'Remembering to stay off social media when you're out and about this Christmas and New Year is an easy way of keeping your home off the hit-list,' say Yale. 'Post your New Year's Eve party pictures when you arrive home and enjoy reminiscing on your evening when your property isn't at risk.'

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This security camera also cleverly works with Alexa voice control and is easy to install at home. 

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This clever camera will send you a notification as soon as movement is detected. 

If you're on the hunt for a doorbell with a built-in video and voice recogniser, then this one is for you. Plus, its sleek silver and black design means it won't look clunky or out of place. 

At just £34.99, this home security camera is a real bargain. With night vision and two-way audio communication, you can ensure your house stays as safe as can be. 

Keep your property safe with this EZVIZ indoor camera. It has a 111-degree viewing angle and can easily be moved if you want to swap spots throughout the day. 

This camera can monitor anywhere in your home — all it needs is WiFi and a plug. It also records and streams in full 1080p HD, so you always get a detailed view of what's happening. 

Packed with must-have features like HD live streaming and person detection, you can trust this hi-tech camera from Hive to do the job.