A Twitter post shared by cops advising people on where to leave their car keys at night has divided opinions.
The status, which was shared by Greater Manchester Police's Chadderton account, urged members of the public to leave their car keys downstairs rather than take them to bed.
It went on to explain that doing so would avoid putting "yourself or a family member at risk" - however it quickly attracted a large number of rib-tickling comments while some supported the advice.
One person responded: "Perhaps I should leave them in the car to make it easier for a thief to steal it trouble free", whilst another humorously quipped: "Might as well leave the door open and leave them a brew and biscuits on side."
"I don’t have a downstairs…live in an apartment.. what then?" a third person posted, with a fourth later asking: "Should we leave them a tank of fuel too?"
One person said: "I'll just leave the engine running shall I?" as another commented: "I'll start leaving them in the door on the outside than shall I?"
However, others supported the message, commenting that the tactic had potentially saved them from coming face to face with burglars in the past.
"For someone who has had their house broken into while alone upstairs with two kids I was very grateful I’d left the keys downstairs as that was all they wanted and were then gone. I got the car back but dread to think what we could have lost had they ventured upstairs," they wrote.
The same force later offered further key-related advice, meanwhile, adding: "Store your keys away from doors, windows or any place it can be seen or easily located.
"Putting your key fob (including spares) in a metal box, fridge, or microwave to block the signal is a cost-effective way to defeat the criminals."
The AA offers similar instruction: "Don't be tempted to take keys upstairs with you. Many thieves won't think twice if you stand between them and the keys to the car they want."
