Police have warned Maldon and South Woodham residents to take extra security measures over the Christmas period.

They urged people going away over Christmas to remember to shut windows and doors and set burglar alarms correctly.

Maldon and South Woodham crime prevention officer Ray Stannard said: "If people are going away, remember to get neighbours to keep an eye on their properties and leave a contact number.

"Also, if they are going away and they have burglar alarms, they must remember not to switch the power off as the battery back-up is only meant to cover a power cut."

Police are also warning businesses and shops to check their alarms after Maldon police reported that about 40 had been activated in the Maldon area in the past week.

Some incidents could have been caused by high winds, but Sgt Richard Miller, of Maldon police, said: "In an area like this, if you get that number of alarms, it ties up the limited resources unnecessarily."

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