Scots are being urged to check their homes - and insurance cover - just in case they fall victim to the so-called 'magnifying glass' effect.

Just last month, Glasgow entrepreneur Michelle Mone issued a warning to her Twitter followers after a mirror in her Mayfair home beamed sunlight onto a bean bag, setting it alight.

In London in January, novelist Daisy Goodwin came back to find her three-story terraced house gutted by a fire ignited by a shaving mirror.

And last month a house in Twickenham was partially destroyed, and a dog killed, when an empty jar containing hairbands in a girl's bedroom refracted sunlight onto window blinds.

Last March, Scottish Fire and Rescue Services were called to a house fire in Aberdeen, triggered by the sun shining through a snow globe placed on a windowsill. Watch manager Garry Chalmers said: "It heated the curtains, which then caught fire. The curtains were completely destroyed and there was fire damage to the floor and ceiling.

"This is certainly one of the most unusual causes I have seen during my career as a firefighter, but it highlights the risk of leaving any glass object in direct sunlight, such as mirrors, reading glasses or even drinks glasses."

The fire service in London has reported 125 such call-outs in the past five years. A spokesman for Scottish Fire and Rescue Service could not give a figure for Scotland but said: "Since 1988 any item containing upholstery sold in the UK has been required to have a permanent label confirming it meets British Standards for fire resistance. If an item of furniture shows signs of being affected by heat - like small scorch-marks or a smell of burning - then it is obviously a risk that shouldn't be ignored."

Thankfully, freak fires like this are covered on buildings and contents policies, which have been getting cheaper over the last year. In January, the Association of British Insurers revealed that the annual cost of buildings insurance dropped 6 per cent over 2014, while the price of contents policies fell 5 per cent.

Jason McClean, founder of propertyinsurer.co.uk, said he has seen average premiums dropping from £220 to £180 as the market has become more competitive.

He said: "Property insurance is becoming an increasingly profitable area for underwriters compared to car insurance as it just doesn't have the same claims culture and level of fraud attached to it. Price comparison websites have also made it quick and easy to see what deals are out there."

But relying on the likes of Moneysupermarket and Gocompare could lead to you missing out on the best deals. The industry has been accused of disguising the best energy deals on the market, with Westminster's energy and climate change committee recently claiming that compensation may be in order.

Mr McClean said: "Many people don't realise that these sites all offer different deals from one another. That is because they work with their own panels of insurers and brokers, who pay to feature their products. Those with the biggest amount of money will, quite simply, get the listings. What we really need is a price comparison site for price comparison sites, but should that ever launch, there would be huge resistance to that."

June Lynch, managing director of Glasgow-based insurance broker Laurie Ross, said: "Home insurance is not as straightforward as car insurance. It takes time to find out what cover is appropriate and brokers will spend as long as it takes to get the best possible deal.

"We discovered that one of our customers had a stamp collection worth £50,000 that needed to be included on his contents cover. Fortunately for him, we knew what questions to ask so that he wasn't underinsured." Ms Lynch also urged people who work at home to properly cover their equipment, such as computers and printers, and for all homeowners to offer up-to-date estimates of what their jewellery is worth, as it may have risen in value.

If you want to use a price comparison site to get a quick quote, it might be worth phoning up the top two suggested brokers to get an ever better deal. Mr McClean said. Factors such as whether you smoke and have pets or children, often not considered by quote websites, could allow underwriters to cut up to 20 per cent off the original quote.

But be wary of new 'blanket' policies which offer up to £1m to cover the cost of rebuilding your home. While Ms Lynch said this was a "useful" development for customers who do not want to pay for a surveyor's estimate, Mr McClean said it was "one of his pet hates".

He added: "If the cost of rebuilding your home turns out to be £150,000 - £200,000, you're paying way too much for that extra cover. It is like buying 300 pints of milk and throwing out 299 of them. Remember that you are not insuring for the amount your home is worth and the rebuild value is likely to be much lower."

Ms Lynch also warned that while some insurers' claims services are very slick, others have "a lot of work to do".

She added: "A broker knows from experience whether an insurer is likely to be there for you in that 'moment of truth' when you need help the most."