STAYING SAFE this Christmas

It may be a time for joy, but with crime rates soaring during December, it’s also a time to be on your guard

- FRANCES LEATE

Each year in December, tens of thousands of people in the UK fall victim to crime, losing money and belongings to pickpockets while out Christmas shopping, being burgled or scammed, or becoming the victim of drunken abuse or assault on a festive night out.

In recent years, more people than ever have lost money to online scams, where fraudsters send texts or emails pretending to be from banks or reputable organisations, like Royal Mail, in order to get their hands on cash – and Christmas time is no exception. December also sees a higher level of break-ins than any other time of year.

So, with thieves at the ready to steal your cash, or break into your home, it can sometimes seem like an overwhelming task to stay alert during a time of year that leaves us all so busy with shopping and to-do lists. Woman investigates how we can protect ourselves and stay safe this festive season...

‘I HOPE MY STORY IS A WARNING TO OTHERS’

Shelly Harris, 44, lives in St Austell, Cornwall, with Dean, 39, and their two children.

Feeling the panic rise in my chest I logged into Facebook and went straight to the place I felt safe, knowing I’d find the reassurance I needed. I’d been a member of an autism support group for years, and the advice from other members had proved invaluable to me and my partner, Dean, then 38, when it came to bringing up our autistic daughter Amy, then 13.