Brits are being warned by about the need to protect their homes from burglars this Christmas.

Forces have urged people to keep presents and valuables out of sight and to avoid leaving deliveries on their doorsteps in a bid to foil would-be criminals.

It comes as figures show the number of suspects charged with committing on Christmas Day dropped from one in four three years ago to one in 10.

Kevin Moore, a retired Detective Chief Superintendent at Sussex Police, said a burglary at a family home at any time of year is devastating, but at Christmas it always seems worse.

He told the : "Sadly, today, the likelihood of the police identifying a culprit is far less than it was in my time. Detection rates for offences of household burglary used to be around 30%, but those days have gone."

Figures released in response to a Freedom of Information request, as reported by the same publication, show there were 386 recorded burglaries on December 25 last year.

Of these, only 35 led to a suspect being caught and charged. Scotland Yard said there were eight charges out of 127 burglaries recorded last Christmas Day.

Other forces failed to charge any suspects in connection with the burglaries recorded on the same date, including Lancashire, where there were 14 reported instances, Essex, with four, Devon and Cornwall, seven, and Humberside, 10.

Surveys carried out between 2019 and 2021 showed police solving one in four Christmas Day burglaries.

Merseyside Police had the best charge rate last year, with eight out of their 18 recorded Christmas Day cases proceeding to court.

The force recently urged locals to be vigilant this Christmas and issued advice to help stop anyone breaking into their homes.

Tips includes locking windows and doors even if at home; keeping tempting items away from windows and doors and not leaving deliveries on doorsteps.

Vehicle owners are also warned to keep key fobs in a Faraday bag or shielded container. Motion-activated external lights and smart doorbells would help too, according to Merseyside Police.

Det Sgt Alan Williams, from Merseyside Police's burglary team, said community support is also vital in helping police put offenders behind bars.

He added:"Modern video surveillance cameras, including smart doorbells, can be very useful, particularly those with cloud-based apps, but you should check the guidance on the Information Commissioner's Office website when installing CCTV at home.

"And remember, the support of our communities is vital in helping us put offenders behind bars. If you see or hear anything that doesn't seem right, please don't hesitate to get in touch. The information you provide could be the missing piece that helps us prevent a crime or catch the offenders."