We wish you a safe Christmas and a healthy New Year. Check out our simple safety tips to enjoy your celebrations - have a great time!
Go to Have Fun, Stay Safe for alcohol safety advice when going for nights out celebrating at pubs and clubs.
Go to Home Safety at Christmas for tips to keep safe at home over the festive period, including the 12 Days of Christmas Fire Safety.
Christmas Shopping
While enjoying your Christmas shopping, make sure you know your consumer rights and keep safety in mind.
Do not buy cheap imports or second hand goods if they do not conform to product safety standards - they could be a serious safety hazard to you or your children. Be particularly careful buying toys and clothes for children.
If anything you buy - from gifts to a new set of fairy lights - turns out to be faulty you have a right to claim a repair, replacement or refund. If an item is faulty, it is up to the retailer you bought the goods from to sort the matter out - not the manufacturer.
Keep all your receipts in case you need to return any purchases. For more advice about all aspects of consumer rights contact East Sussex County Council Trading Standards.
When you are buying Christmas presents for children, think about animal welfare. Remember a dog is for life, not just for Christmas. When people buy puppies as presents, many are then dumped in the New Year.
Who Are You Buying Presents for This Christmas?
Do not neglect home security at this time of year - cold-hearted burglars can take advantage of expensive gifts all in one place under the tree. Do not let them ruin your family’s celebrations.
The Operation Cracker campaign from Sussex Police highlights Christmas crime prevention, with the theme Who are you buying presents for?.
The fact that it is Christmas makes no difference to burglars. Empty boxes outside a house or nice new presents which are easy to spot inside are just too tempting to resist, no matter how much misery burglary causes at this time of year.
For more advice you can download a free Cracker leaflet from the Sussex Police website.
