POLICE in a vast rural area are warning people not to make life easy for opportunist thieves over Christmas.

The calls came after a district-wide survey in Ryedale, showed less than half the population had spent anything on crime prevention measures in the past year.

Sergeant Cliff Edens, commanding officer for Helmsley and Kirkbymoorside, said there was an annual increase in house burglaries over the winter period. He encouraged people to take action to deter criminals.

"We always encourage people to make it look as though someone is in - that's the secret.

"The best advice I can give is to leave lights on, leave radios playing, and draw the curtains at night to make it look as though someone is in the house," he said.

"Crime prevention measures like outside security lights will deter them because they don't like to be lit up so people can see them.

"It's a good idea not to leave presents on show, but it's not worth spoiling the festivities.

"There is an increase in the number of burglaries at this time of year, but we are not talking about major amounts.

"We are talking about the opportunist thief who chances upon a house."