HOMEOWNERS across the county are being warned to be extra vigilant about security during warm summer weather.

The message to would-be victims follows police warnings of a potential spike in domestic burglaries as temperatures soar.

John Murphy, of insurance broker Lycetts, said: “When the air heats up, people naturally tend to open more windows and doors. It’s all too easy to forget to secure them at night, making it easier for opportunistic burglars to strike.

“Burglars will often target small, expensive items such as watches and jewellery as they can be easy to find and sold-on swiftly.

“A common mistake is to renew home insurance cover each year without re-calculating the value of possessions, simply giving an ‘educated guess’ of their worth.

“An item’s value for insurance purposes is how much it would cost to buy new, not what it cost when you bought it.

“Getting legitimate valuations is the safest route to being sufficiently insured. Homeowners should make a detailed inventory – item by item, room by room – and be diligent about receipt-keeping for high-value items.

“Some possessions, such as expensive jewellery, collectables, family heirlooms, valuable antiques or fine art may need separate specialist cover.”