With the nights getting darker earlier, this is the time of year break ins occur most often. As we approach Christmas, thieves often know that people will be storing Christmas presents somewhere in their property and this can make them an easy target.

It used to be that only the rich and famous had CCTV systems but with the cost f an IP camera less than £50, it is now possibly for most people to get one. They require little expertise to set up and can often be linked to a smart device to allow you to view live and recorded footage. They usually have their own app that you can download and which you can allow to send you notifications of when movement is detected.

There are hundreds of different types of IP cameras on the market and it can be hard to know which one to choose. The main thing you need to do is read plenty of reviews and if possible, see examples of the quality of the footage.

You may be tempted to just fit a dummy camera to act as a deterrent but as there is often not a massive difference in price, you may as well go for the real thing.