Donegal Gardaí have issued advice for the public as the long winter evenings are well underway.
A surge in home burglaries is often seen in the winter time as the longer nights give criminals bigger windows to commit robberies under the cover of darkness – with Gardaí saying burglaries increase by 25% in the winter months.
Gardaí say simple steps such as locking all of your doors and windows, or using an alarm even while you are in the house can be effective deterrents.
They also are advising the public to store keys away from windows and letterboxes, not to keep large amounts of cash or jewellery in the house, to ensure that the exterior of your home is well lit up, an also to not post on social media about any upcoming holidays or trips.