Gardaí say  break-ins through the front door are the most common entry point for burglars, while nearly half of burglaries in winter take place between 5pm and 11pm.

New figures released today also show that jewellery and cash are the most common items stolen, with an average of €600 worth of goods taken in a burglary.

The figures from the Garda Analysis Service also show that reported burglaries were down by over a quarter in the first six months of this year.

The figures are being released as part of a garda anti-burglary campaign called 'Lock up, light up'.

They show that the most common form of entry for burglars now is the front door, followed by the back door, back window and front window.

Most burglars use their own body weight to force entry, but one in five get in through an unsecured door or window.

Gardaí say 46% of burglaries in winter occur between 5pm and 11pm.

They say locking up and lighting up over the winter months can help in making your home safe.

Householders are urged to make sure their home looks occupied, by using timer switches to turn on lights, lock all doors and windows, store keys away from windows and letterboxes and use the house alarm.