Police have warned Hertfordshire residents to protect their treasured family gold and jewellery over the coming months.

Hertfordshire Constabulary have issued advice in the run up to the festivals celebrated by many families during autumn and winter.

Many families wear their gold and jewellery as part of the celebrations of Diwali and other religious holidays, which in previous years has led to increases in thefts and burglaries.

Warning residents to take precautions, Chief Inspector Dave Skarratts, from Hertfordshire Constabulary’s Central Intelligence Bureau, said: “Some families who have large collections of valuable jewellery, and in particular high value gold, have been targeted by criminals in the past.

Wearing lots of gold and jewels as you travel to weddings and religious festivals can draw unwanted attention from criminals, so we recommend keeping it hidden until you reach the venue.

“Burglars tend to target houses that are empty, particularly if they are not very well-secured. Taking basic steps to secure your home can be enough to deter many burglars.

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"If you have made a significant investment in gold and jewellery, it makes sense to take all possible precautions to protect these items.”

If attending an event it is advisable to be discreet when wearing high value gold items in public, and also ensure that these items are securely stored when kept in the home or keep them somewhere else like in a safety deposit box.

For more advice on protecting your gold, visit the crime prevention pages at www.herts.police.uk/protectyourhome

Herts Police advice

To help keep your property safe and home secure, follow these steps:

  • Remove the jewellery from your house altogether, so if you are a victim your valuable items won’t be stolen.
  • Owners should keep all jewellery and other valuables in a safety deposit box – speak to your bank to find out what’s available.
  • Use a door bell camera, internal camera and/or a monitored burglar alarm.
  • Ensure doors are double locked at all times. Keep windows closed and locked.
  • Install ‘dusk to dawn’ external lighting.
  • Use timer switches in your home to control internal lights, radios and a simulated TV.
  • Keep keys and valuables secure and out of sight.
  • Ensure boundary fences are secure with side gates locked.
  • Take photos and keep a list of all valuable property in a safe place, including make, model description and value.
  • Forensically mark items of value, as a hi-tech way of linking your property to your address, options available are – Selecta DNA / Smartwater. Always take specialist advice before marking expensive or irreplaceable items.