Why not make a New Year’s Resolution that keeps your new Christmas presents and New Year Sales purchases safe?

Officers are urging people to get new gifts receive over Christmas registered for free on the property logging website www.Immobilise.com.

The crime prevention step will mean if new property is lost or stolen it can be quickly identified when it is recovered  and returned to the rightful owner, as well as potentially catching a criminal in possession of stolen goods.

Immobilise is a free secure on-line register of property where members of the public can log their valuables – anything from mobile phones, bikes, tools, electricals and gardening equipment. It’s free to register and takes just a few minutes to sign up.

Ownership details can be viewed by police across the country on the National Mobile Property Register (NMPR), which allows officers to check a recovered item and instantly find the owner.

PC Andy Allen, Crime Reduction Officer said: “At Christmas people get the latest TVs, laptops, mobiles, games consoles and cycles and they are urged to register these onto immobilise.

“Burglars, thieves and people involved in the handling of stolen goods don’t want property linking them to offences. Officers check all property recovered for any evidence of property marking and check www.immobilise.com to see if property is registered as stolen. So if the public register online today, they can assist us greatly in spotting those people involved in criminality.” Now is also the perfect opportunity whilst you have a little spare time at your fingertips to mark your new and old property to help deter burglars.

Property marking itself cannot prevent a burglary or theft from happening but it can act as a deterrent to most thieves as they find marked stolen items difficult to dispose of.

PC Andy Allen added: “There are several ways of marking your property including engraving, etching or using an ultraviolet pen to write your postcode and house number on your goods.  These methods are easy to use and do not have to cost the earth.”

For further advice on property marking and home security visit: www.humberside.police.uk/issues/protecting-your-property.