Here are seven ways to avoid house fires caused by Christmas decorations

We are being warned against overloading our electrical sockets this Christmas.

Zurich Insurance shows a third of us will plug too many devices in over the coming weeks and run the risk of causing a house fire.

The survey has also found that one in 10 of us will leave candles burning when we leave the house this festive season.

The nationwide research shows that 22% of us leave our Christmas tree lights on or plugged in overnight, 55% hang Christmas cards over an open fire, and 29% of us are failing to place our Christmas tree a safe distance from a fire source.

Zurich Insurance have suggested seven precautions to ensure a safe home this Christmas:

* Avoid hanging items that can catch fire above or close to an open fire or stove;

* Avoid leaving Christmas lights and other appliances switched on when everyone is leaving the house or going to bed;

* For outdoor lights, make sure all electrical sockets and plugs are kept dry, and the lights are LED type. Make sure also that the lights are for outdoor use;

* Do not leave candles lit while everyone is out. Open flames should also be kept a safe distance from flammable fabrics at all times;

* Carefully place your Christmas tree a safe distance from any fire source or heater;

* Place a real tree in water to keep it from drying out. The dryer the Christmas tree, the easier it will catch fire;

* The best line of defence if a fire does occur is early detection. Ensure all battery powered smoke alarms have charged batteries installed. Test all detectors before the Christmas period.