SECURITY company Yale and insurance provider Swinton have teamed up to help homeowners stay safe on social media.

They say more than 42 million people across the UK post their daily outings, events and holidays to friends and family online - but a study commissioned by Swinton Insurance shows a clear link between crime levels and social media posts.

The company says with so many visible social media profiles, and thousand of people "over-sharing", it is no wonder the modern-day burglar is making the most of social websites, including Twitter and Instagram.

In another alarming statistic from the study, 15,508 people shared photos of their new home online, with 1.3 per cent even going as far to provide their house number. According to the Home Office, figures show you are almost twice as likely to be burgled during the first year at a new address.

Swinton has released an interactive social media crime map, allowing you to compare the level of reported crimes to the amount of people posting about being away from the home or having bought a new home or car - visit www.swinton.co.uk.

Yale is sharing tips on home security and how to be vigilant on social media, including updating security settings to 'private', not accepting friend requests from people you don’t know, and delaying posting about your holiday until you return home. For more, see www.yale.co.uk.