Almost half of all residential burglaries in winter time happen between 5pm and 11pm, according to An Garda Siochana.

In almost one in five cases, burglars enter the house through an unsecured door or window.

Last year, the typical value stolen per incident in the last 12 months was €600, with jewellery and cash the most common objects stolen from homes.

There were over 160 cases where car keys were “fished” through the letterbox in the past year.

Garda advice, whether you are at home or going out, is to remember to turn on some lights, use timer switches and lock all doors and windows.

You should also use an alarm, store keys away from windows and letterboxes and don’t store large amounts of cash or jewellery in the house.

Farm thefts

Agricultural crime costs victims an average of €4,300, according to a WIT survey.

Diesel is the item most often stolen from farms, followed by electrical tools, hand tools and trailers.

However, one secure shed on a farm could prevent a lot of farm thefts, according to one crime prevention officer.

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