Experts reveal this is the time of day you're most likely to be burgled – and how to avoid it!

New research reveals home are most likely to be burgled between the hours of 3pm and 5pm – in broad daylight! This applies particularly to those living in semi-detached houses in the South East of England.

Shockingly there were reports of over 400,000 burglaries taking place in the UK last year, with a cost of over £1.3billion worth of stolen goods.

Related: A former burglar reveals simple cleaning trick that could prevent a break-in

According to former burglar turned security expert, Michael Fraser, there are key things putting us all at risk of our homes being broken into.

Michael and expert Tom Tahany at Blackstone Consultancy share their expertise to give us burglary prevention tips...

Could these mistakes be attracting burglars?

1. Using single locks

Rethink locks, to deter thieves. 'Most people only use a cylinder lock on their door which isn’t very secure,' Michael explains. 'Doors should have a cylinder lock and deadlock and both should be used together for maximum security.'

2. Oversharing on social media

Tom warns, 'Burglaries are often strategically planned and social media is the perfect way to gain insight into your life. Posting intimate details about relationships, friendships and personal belongings and holidays on social media identifies you as a person with items of value and informs a criminal when you’re not at home.'

Sharing is not always caring. •immediately sets all social media accounts to private!

3. Leaving blinds up during the day

Don't tempt robbers with a preview. 'The first thing a burglar will do is check the front of your property,' Michael says. 'If your windows aren’t obscured they know you don’t care very much about security. Always leave your blinds down when you’re out of the house to prevent people from seeing what’s inside.'

4. Giving pets free roam of the house

Exactly how are our pets putting our homes at risk?

'You might think you’re doing a good deed by allowing your pet to roam around the house while you’re out, but if a burglar knows there’s a pet in the building, they’ll also know that you’re not using an alarm on your property' explains Michael.

5. Not adding a cage to your letterbox

'One tactic burglars use is ‘letterbox fishing’' explains reformed burglar Michael.

'If they can see something of interest through your letterbox, such as a handbag or car keys, they can use some sort of implement to pick small items up.' Going on to advise, 'one way to prevent this is to add a cage to your letterbox.'

6. Leaving tools in the garden

'Many people are guilty of leaving tools or ladders out in their garden, or not properly locking the shed,' Michael reveals. 'These types of tools can be used by someone to break into your property.'

This is not a story to scare but to inform – ensuring our homes are as secure as possible.

Related: Former burglar reveals how to prevent a break-in while on holiday – as seen on This Morning

To determine the stats the team at 247 Blinds analysed FOI data about burglary trends in the UK in recent years.

The research found that the average cost of stolen items is £3,2433, meaning a huge estimated £1,353,680,0884 worth of items are stolen every year.