Shropshire companies are being warned not to make themselves easy targets for criminals through social networking sites.

Dave Williams, from Henshalls Insurance Brokers in Newport and Shrewsbury, said the summer holiday season had created new opportunities for criminals.

"Social networking sites like Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn have opened up a whole new world of opportunity for burglars and opportunist thieves.

"A happy "tweet" from a beach bar in Spain, or holiday snaps posted on Facebook from the golf course on the Algarve can alert thieves that you're away from your home or business.

"And it doesn't take much searching to find other information posted on the same sites that can help them to identify the location of your empty property, making it an easy target."

Dave said the number of crimes linked to such websites had increased so much that insurance companies were starting to take notice.

"Some insurers have now started taking social networking activity into account when they assess claims, so it's important that you take care with what you're posting.

"There are steps you can take to reduce the risks, such as checking security settings so that only known friends or followers can access your updates. And tempting as it may be, try not to reveal your location in your posts, particularly if you're away for some time.

"Limit the information that will help someone identify where you live, but of course this is less practical for a business where the whole purpose of social networking is likely to be to attract more trade."

Dave said security arrangements and alarm systems should also be reviewed regularly to deter or prevent crime as far as possible.

"By taking a few sensible precautions, social networking can be a valuable business tool that need not put your business at increased risk."