WITH winter now on the way, the public are being reminded to be extra cautious as the nights grow longer and colder.

At 2am on Sunday, British Summer Time officially ends, with the clocks going back an hour, in line with Greenwich Mean Time.

And, although it means an extra hour in bed, the change also means the nights draw in.

Swindon Council, Wiltshire Police and The AA have issued advice on keeping safe in the dark and cold.

Emma Faramarzi, Swindon Council’s cabinet member for housing and public safety, said: “Now that the nights are drawing in and the weather is getting colder consider getting in touch with your neighbours, particularly your elderly ones.

“As it gets into winter, older people sometimes feel increasingly isolated, and it can make all the difference just having a neighbour looking in on them.

“I have some elderly neighbours and if I am popping to the shops I often just look in and ask if they want me to pick anything up for them.

“People also need to be extra vigilant when out walking, and avoid walking along any unlit paths at night.

“If they see any suspicious behaviour they should call the police.”

Meanwhile, Wiltshire Police have issued advice to homeowners to take extra care and be more vigilant during the darker autumn months.

They have reminded residents to not leave houses unlocked, even for short periods, to ensure windows are locked when leaving the home, install a security light which is visible and will switch on if anyone approaches the home, shed or garage, and never leave valuable items, tools or equipment in view of windows.

They also advise residents to reinforce any door which might be easy to kick in, use a heavy duty padlock on any external lock catch and make sure all valuable items are security marked or that all serial numbers are written down.

Meanwhile, The AA reminds drivers to take extra care, with checks on lights assuming extra importance as the morning and evening commutes will be in darkness.

An estimated half a million cars around the country are thought to have defective lights, and the breakdown firm is reminding car-owners to check their lamps for blown bulbs.

Last year faulty lights and failure to fix them contributed to 168 road accidents in Britain, including eight deaths and 33 seriously injured victims.

Mark Spowage, AA patrol of the year, says: “During the lighter summer months a lot of people don’t notice or even ignore problems with their car’s lights. When the nights suddenly get darker, that’s when more accidents happen.

“Checking your lights only takes seconds but could potentially save your life. Either you can get someone to help or reverse up to a wall to check the rears – not forgetting fog, reversing lights and indicators.

“The fault often occurs because of a blown bulb, or because corrosion has built up on the terminals. However, it could also mean an electrical problem, so if in doubt, it is best to get it checked.”