Caravan Insurance

Most homeowners in Britain are being lulled into a state of laxness by the summer weather, a new study has warned, leaving their home and its contents at risk as a result.

Four out of five householders relax the security of their home as they seek to escape the seasonal heat, even though fifty per cent admit they know that in doing so they are effectively leaving their property vulnerable to thieves.

The most common error that the summer weather impels homeowners into making is that of leaving a window open, with Tesco home insurance's survey indicating that 30 per cent of all householders committing this simple but critical discretion.

The insurer's chief Allan Burns commented: "It's understandable that people want to keep their homes as cool as possible during this heat wave.

"However, it's important to remember that burglars aren't any less opportunistic during the summer months than at any other time of the year."

He claimed many householders think it is safe to be slack on home security so long as they are indoors, but in fact this is not the case and by not properly protecting their property they could invalidate their home insurance policy in the event of a burglary.

Another frequent mistake made by homeowners is leaving their patio door open, which one in five householders do, while a badly negligent minority of one in 50 admit to having at some point left their front door open all night long.