Home insurance warning over hiding valuables

Home insurance customers have been advised that their attempts to deceive or misdirect thieves may be misguided.

According to Hiscox, homeowners often sew jewellery into curtains, use decoy doors and hide valuables around their property .

Andrew Cheney, senior risk and valuation advisor at Hiscox UK, said that thieves would clock on to many of these practices, while it may also be easy to forget hiding places.

It's far better to prevent thieves from being able to access your home in the first instance. Think of your property with rings of security - from the outer perimeter of your garden and driveway to the inside of your home, he added.

There are ways of securing your boundaries and driveway, followed by the main property and outbuildings. Then you can think about added protection for your valuables inside the home. This technique has the effect of wearing an intruder down.

People have previously been advised that they should make sure any valuable garden furniture of items are kept locked in a shed to prevent any home insurance claims .