Home insurance warning over summer hols

People heading off on their summer holidays could be leaving the door open for thieves, one home insurance firm has warned.

Research by high street insurance firm Swinton reveals that 63 per cent of people do not lock away their valuables out of sight while they are on holiday .

It also found that seven per cent of people make no attempt to secure their home while they are on holiday, something that could invalidate their home insurance policy .

Chris Collings, director of insurer development at Swinton, said: It's also worth remembering that some household insurance policies might not cover you if you've said that you have a burglar alarm but then it’s not activated at the time of a break in.

People should check the small print or speak with their broker if they are unsure about the details of their home insurance policy, he added.

Recently, Ian Crowder, public relations manager at the AA, suggested that people who travel abroad a lot might want to see if they can extend their home insurance policy to cover items that they take overseas with them.