Reformed burglar reveals tricks of the trade and how crooks are spying on kitchen calendars for your holiday dates

BRITS are inviting crooks to raid their homes by leaving out CALENDARS, a reformed burglar has warned.

Security expert Michael Fraser - host of TV’s Beat The Burglar - warned that robbers peer through kitchen windows to see when owners are off on holiday.

Michael, 58, fell into a criminal career after getting mixed up with a gang when he was a troubled teenager.

He admits to breaking into scores of homes in the past, but has now turned to help people make sure their properties are safe from thieves.

If calendars are in their line of vision, it could lead to your property getting ransacked.

Speaking on This Morning, he said: "Don't hang a calendar with holiday dates right near the window - they will come back when they know you're away.

He also warned homeowners to not bother with deadbolts unless they're actually going to use them.

He explained: "What I can do is put my foot up against the door and if I push on it and it moves then a burglar could tell it isn't engaged."

"The problem is an opportunist always looks for a house where there is absolutely no security. The more you do to your house, the more likely they are to move on and go to another house."

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