Burglars break into more than 760,000 British homes each year. Other countries suffer a similar level of such crimes. For the householders, burglary is one of the most traumatic of crimes. Though your empty property may be out of sight, its security will never be far out of mind. Fortunately, there are some sensible precautions you can take to increase both your home security and your peace of mind.

The biggest risk factors for domestic burglary are poor security and low levels of occupancy. Victims of burglary are less likely to have security measures in place at the time of the incident than non-victims. Security is effective in thwarting at least some offenders.

Burglars want an easy, risk free life, and do not want to get caught. They avoid getting caught by taking care to select the right home to break into. A pile of mail gathering behind the glass of the front door, a cluster of milk bottles on the doorstep, or a newspaper sticking out of the letterbox, are some of the signs they look for. Couple these with an overgrown garden, curtains that never close, and rooms in perpetual darkness and you might as well invite them to break in.

The burglar first identifies the quickest, easiest and safest route into your home. In most burglaries, he targets a door, by forcing a door lock or breaking a door panel. At other times he gets in through a window. In over a fifth of cases he simply walks in through an unlocked door.

If you value your possessions, you will have five-lever mortise deadlocks, fitted on both front and back doors. You will have an automatic deadlock, that can be locked from the outside, fitted on the front door. You may also have fitted laminated glass to doors, and key- operated window locks on every window.

With millions spent on persuading householders to fit good quality locks on doors and windows, getting back out should present the burglar with as big a problem as getting in. Unfortunately many people leave spare keys lying around inside the house.

All too often, the police attend the scene of a burglary to find that the burglar, who has struggled to squeeze in through a small window, has calmly walked out through the door. The door will often have a key in the lock, "in case there's a fire", or a simple latch lock that was lazily pulled to behind the busy householder. Occasionally, the unwitting occupant even provides the burglar with a getaway car in the drive and the car keys on the kitchen table.

Your empty property should always look occupied. Deliveries should be cancelled, and a trusted neighbour available to take in those that you cannot cancel. If there are no neighbours, family or friends available, you can make alternative arrangements for your mail through the local post office.

A family member, a friend or a neighbour may even be prepared to call in to the house each evening and morning to close and open the curtains. The lights can look after themselves, if you invest in a time switch or two. If you are leaving a house unoccupied for an extended period, an alternative to this informal caretaker arrangement is a house- sitter.

House-sitters not only make sure that your house is safe, but they also have the added advantage of looking after the garden, the houseplants and even pets. An agency will put you in touch with responsible people, both singles and couples, who will look after your property while you are away. As both the householder and the house-sitter benefit from the arrangement, a typical house-sitting arrangement comes without payment.

Having made sure that your house looks occupied, do not compromise your security by advertising the fact that you are going away. Not everyone standing amongst the crowds at the airport or station is a passenger. Display your home address on your luggage labels and you provide valuable intelligence for the more professional criminal. If you must put an address on your luggage, make sure it's your work address, not your home address.

A small safe is an ideal place to secure your house and car keys, your smaller valuables and jewellery, and those irreplaceable items like marriage certificates, cherished mementoes and personal papers. Make sure the safe is proof against fire and flood, too, for added peace of mind.

Technology now provides the means to enhance household security to a level that will deter even the most determined burglar. Alarm systems vary in sophistication and in price. Some are simple stand- alone systems designed to draw attention. Others have multiple sensors and can be remotely monitored.

Regrettably, surrounded by car and house alarms, an indifferent public will often ignore the sound of an alarm. A more effective system is a monitored alarm. Once triggered, these systems alert a monitoring company who can call the police. These systems are more expensive than a stand- alone system, but give greater protection.

You do not have to go to the expense of paying for a remote monitoring system, as there are ways you can remotely monitor your house yourself for continual peace of mind. Some alarm systems can be programmed to telephone an alert to a friend or neighbour, who can then check on the premises and call the police and you if necessary.

If you have no one to keep an eye on the house you can install a remotely monitored closed circuit television system. With the development of computer technology, the Internet, and Cyber Caf?'s, remote monitoring has become easier than ever. Systems are now available that offer simple installation and maintenance, and are ideal for home security.

The local police will be happy to point out weaknesses in your defences that you may well have overlooked. You should also inform your local police station if you are away from home for any length of time. The police will keep a discrete eye on your property, and will at least know who to contact if anything does happen. The local police station is also a good source of up-to- date crime prevention literature if you don't have access to the Internet.

Encouragingly, recent surveys show that the number of burglaries is falling, while the numbers of households investing in home security is increasing. With the average cost of a burglary amounting to around ?1400, a modest investment in security could prove very cost effective, and will at least give you the peace of mind to really enjoy your time away from home.