Experts have advised homeowners to “check their home insurance” policy before going away on extended trips.

Travellers were warned to check the details of their policy and ensure they have adequate cover for their belongings as they may not get compensation back in the case of an accident or burglary.

Most insurance policies state that claims can only be made providing the house has not been unoccupied for 30 days or more.

Holidaymakers who plan to travel for 30 days or more should therefore check the validity of their insurance policy.

With fire, damage caused by heating equipment and burglaries being more possible in the winter season, insurers are likely to find more homeowners making insurance claims.

And to make matters worse, recent research has shown that more Brits are planning to go away this Christmas, leaving their homes open to disaster.

Spokesperson, Darren Black said that holidaymakers should not advertise their trip to potential burglars.

He advised that instead, they should "make sure that there is someone staying in the house at some point while they are away to make sure homeowners do not inadvertently invalidate their cover."

"Other precautions which travellers can take include purchasing time-lapse automatic lighting, arranging for someone to open and close curtains daily [and] cancelling milk and newspapers," he added.