Cash point

Social media posts can be as much of an invitation to burglars as leaving milk bottles on the doorstep was a few decades ago.

BP Insurance Brokers says homeowners are forgetting the key principles of protecting their home.

Insight from 50 ex-burglars reveals that almost eight out of 10 of them checked Facebook and Twitter for potential places to rob and three out of four used Google Street View to check out properties.

Barry Pimlott, managing director of BP Insurance Brokers, said: “Avid social media users can’t wait to share pictures of themselves in the sun, visiting new places and sitting at the airport.

“The issue is twofold. Firstly, nothing is truly private on social networks and secondly, we make people ‘friends’ who we haven’t seen since our school days and some we don’t even know at all.”

Keep your valuables safer by thinking twice before posting anything that suggests you’re away.

Don’t post holiday snaps until you’ve returned home. Don’t reveal regular habits, such as weekly gym classes, or show off high-value possessions. Review your privacy settings – and your “friends” list.