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Home owners reminded to check their properties are safe while on hols

Disaster has struck 21% of holiday makers who have returned to a home emergency, such as a burst pipe, power failures or smashed windows, according to a study from the AA's Home Emergency Response service.

But an emergency could go unnoticed, as less than half entrust a friend or neighbour with a spare key. Others could be unaware that anything has gone wrong, as only 52% leave their contact details with somebody.

‘Some people are really unlucky with some kind of emergency happening to their home while they're on holiday. When you're at home you can either sort it out yourself, or get somebody in to fix the problem. But if you're not there it could go unnoticed unless you have someone popping in to keep an eye on things,’ said Tom Stringer, head of the AA's Home Emergency Response Service.

‘Nobody wants to come back after a week or two away to find that something's gone wrong like storm damage or a water leak. Unchecked, a leak could cause a lot of unnecessary damage,’ he added.

Stringer pointed out that an escape of water is the most common cause of home insurance claims. ‘Other things could affect the security of your home such as broken windows or doors should be taken care of as soon as possible before you get an unwelcome visit from a burglar,’ he also pointed out.

‘People tend to live further away from their families these days or aren't at home sufficiently often to get to know their neighbours very well. Understandably, they could be less inclined to let somebody they barely know into their home when they're not around,’ he explained.

A quarter of those who'd experienced a home emergency while they were away had a water leak, while a fifth had a pest infestation. Some 15% had their home burgled, 12% had their home flooded and one out of ten experienced a power failure.

The AA’s tips for keeping a home safe include unplugging electrical appliances, turning off the water stopcock in case there's a leak, check gutters and drains for blockages and give a friend or a neighbour a key to check on the property while you are away.

It also advises leaving contact details with somebody so they can get in touch in case of emergency, ensuring all windows and doors are locked and secure, don't leave keys in window locks and don't leave them within sight of doors or windows and also make sure any sheds and garages are locked.

Deliveries of milk and newspapers should be stopped and it is a good idea to get a neighbour to push post left sticking out of a letterbox through. Another precaution is putting lights on a timer to give the impression to a potential thief that someone is home.

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