The most important thing you can do to stay safe over the festive period is to make sure your smoke, heat and carbon monoxide alarms are all working.

If your smoke or heat alarms aren’t working, please let us know as soon as possible by contacting TCH Repairs on 01892 501480. If your carbon monoxide alarm isn’t working, please contact Swale on 0800 011 3139.

Christmas trees

If you decide to have a real tree this year, remember that they can dry out and become a fire hazard, so make sure you:

• Keep it well-watered
• Place it away from heat sources
• Dispose of it appropriately after the festive period (Please do not leave your tree in the bin areas – check your council website to find out their tree collection dates).

Fairy lights

• If you have had your Christmas lights for a long time, consider replacing them with newer LED ones which meet much higher safety standards and don’t get as hot
• Make sure you turn all the lights off before you go to bed and whenever you go out
• Be careful not to overload sockets with lots of plugs from multiple strings of lights
• Don’t let the bulbs touch anything that can burn easily.

Candles and tea lights

• Put your candles or tea lights in snug-fitting holders on flat, heat resistant surfaces – please do not put them on your Christmas tree
• Make sure all candles and tea lights are completely put out before you go to bed or if you go out
• Place them away from curtains and out of any draughts
• Make sure there’s more than a metre between your candles or tea lights and any surface above
• Keep them well out of reach of children and pets.

Paper chains and other decorations:

• Make sure you keep any decorations and cards well away from heaters, lights, candles and tea lights
• Decorations in communal areas – unfortunately we can’t allow any decorations in indoor communal areas such as in hallways and corridors or on internal front doors as these can also be a fire hazard.