And Police have warned the public to be on their guard.

Crime Prevention Officer Sgt. Chris Wilcox yesterday told The Royal Gazette : "Christmas is a time when people want to have a good time and as a result they let down their guard.'' He said thefts normally increased during the months of November and December when people buy gifts for Christmas.

Below are some suggestions on how to avoid becoming a victim of crime.

When shopping for Christmas presents: Before leaving home divide your money between pockets. If you are robbed a thief is unlikely to find all of your money; Never count money in the street and always keep your cheque book in a safe place. Women should not wear expensive jewellery when shopping and men should not carry a wallet in their back pocket; Avoid overburdening yourself with heavy packages; and It is best not to leave packages in unattended cars. If necessary to do so, do not leave them in full view. Cover parcels with a coat or towel or lock them in away in the boot.

When going out for the evening: Close and lock all windows and doors and draw the curtains. Leave lights on in several rooms in the house and leave a radio playing to give the impression that someone is at home. Also turn on your outside lights; Secure all ladders and tools and encourage your neighbours to do the same; and Put cheque books in a safe place and never leave cash lying around the house.

Regarding babysitting during the holidays: Do not wait until the last minute to make arrangements for a babysitter; Parents, guardians and their babysitters need to be business-like and determine in advance the hours to be worked, the responsibilities of the babysitter, and the rate of payment; Make arrangements for how the babysitter will travel to and from your house; Be specific in your instructions concerning incoming phone calls etc. and give the babysitter a telephone number where you can be reached at all times; and Make the babysitter aware of the location of the fuse box, fire extinguishers, and first aid kit. Provide your babysitter with a torch in good working order.

Sgt. Wilcox also issued advice for retailers.

On shoplifters: Encourage staff to be courteous and attentive as shoplifters shun attention; Have staff keep watch over the whole store, not just their particular section; Limit the number of items which a customer can take into a changing room and always remove empty hangers; Keep expensive items away from exit doors and close to cash registers and always give receipts; and Avoid having narrow cluttered aisles which shoplifters prefer as items which go missing will be noticed more quickly if they are laid out neatly in the first place.

When accepting cheques, he added, retailers should: Ask the customer to provide some form of photographic identification; If a cheque has been signed prior to presentation, ask the customer to sign it again; Check if the written and numerical amounts agree; Do not accept postdated, outdated, or third-party cheques; and Only accept cheques for the exact amount of the purchase.

And for those transporting Christmas takings, Sgt. Wilcox offered the following advice: Avoid a build-up of cash taking. Make frequent and irregular bank deposits.

Whenever possible, vary the routes and times of bank deposits; Ideally, only male employees should take deposits to the bank; and Do not walk down the street carrying recognisable bank bags. In public, disguise deposits by transporting them in shopping bags, small boxes or rolled up newspapers.