However good the locks are on your home, they can always be opened with the right key. One insurance website has warned homeowners that giving out spare keys could invalidate their home insurance.

According to Confused.com, 69 per cent of people are putting their property at risk by giving spare keys to friends or relatives, and this can have a major impact if you make an insurance claim for theft from your home. If there are no signs of forced entry and if you cannot account for your spare keys, your insurer may have reason to challenge the claim.

A spokesperson for confused.com commented: “Our advice is simple. If you move into a new home or have given out your house keys to someone you no longer trust, or if you have lost or misplaced your keys resulting in the risk of a security breach, change the locks.

“Your home is typically the single largest investment that you make and therefore we would encourage anyone without home insurance or adequate security to think carefully about protecting their investment more wisely.”