Britons are risking their Christmas presents by putting festive spirit ahead of home security, according to research from Direct Line home insurance.

Instead of hiding newly bought Christmas presents away, out of sight from opportunist burglars, a quarter of Brits are keeping them in plain sight, on display under the Christmas tree, rather than somewhere hidden and secure.

British householders are putting presents at risk by choosing to keep them on display before Christmas Day, and with the average UK adult buying an average 10 gifts this year, spending £363 each, this could prove to be an expensive mistake, especially if they do not have home contents insurance in place.

With an adult population of 50,000,000 people, Brits are putting a total £18billion worth of presents at risk.

A more security-conscious 74 per cent keep their newly acquired gifts in an unsecured cupboard, which, while out of sight, is still one of the first places a burglar will look, Direct Line warns.

Andrew Lowe, head of Direct Line home insurance, comments: “With British adults spending nearly £400 each on gifts, many householders will find the value of their possessions has increased once they’ve stored their gifts for others and unwrapped their own.

“Getting finances in order is a priority for many people’s New Year’s resolutions, and included in that goal should be a re-assessment of the value of the contents within their home to make sure that they have enough insurance should their favourite things be lost, stolen, or damaged.”

From 1 December until 15 January, Direct Line contents insurance increases automatically by five per cent to cover the additional value of contents in the home until households have a chance to re-evaluate their contents insurance policies.

© Fair Investment Company Ltd

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