Britain’s homes endure ‘most burgled’ month
UK homeowners are urged to lock up their valuables and beware of burglars in the ‘most burgled’ month of the year, according to analysis from over 50s insurance provider RIAS.
As the winter nights draw in, analysis of 2012 claims data shows Britain’s burglars could be gearing up to take advantage of the evening darkness. Households across the UK are 10% more likely to be burgled in November, on average, than at other times of the year. These burglaries are costing households dearly, with the average cost of a robbery now hitting £2,433 and rising to £2,474 in November as Britons begin to fill their houses with valuables ahead of the Christmas period.
The research also shows that Britons living in large cities and towns are most vulnerable to property break-ins as West Yorkshire and Greater Manchester take the lead as the most burgled counties.
Top 10 Cities/ Towns for burglary frequency:
Rank - City/ Town - County
1 Bradford West Yorkshire
2 London Greater London
3 Manchester Greater Manchester
4 Leeds West Yorkshire
5 Oldham Greater Manchester
6 Milton Keynes Buckinghamshire
7 Coventry West Midlands
8 Huddersfield West Yorkshire
9 Sheffield South Yorkshire
10 Redhill Surrey
Larger properties targeted
The analysis from RIAS also underlines that larger properties are significantly more at risk than smaller properties, as often they can contain more valuables and be more accessible because of extra entry points. Indeed, the research shows that five bedroom homes are three times more likely than one bedroom properties to be burgled, with robbery frequency directly related to the number of bedrooms in the property. The average claim cost of a crime is also related to the size of the house, with five bedroom houses claiming 127% more than smaller properties.
RIAS’ data shows that whatever the area and size of the property, burglars are looking for the same things: small and easily portable high value items. In particular, the most regularly stolen valuables in the UK are jewellery, cash and technology items, specifically laptops. Burglars are also exploiting the same entry points, most often targeting and gaining entry through a back door or window.
Peter Corfield, Managing Director at RIAS, comments: “As the nights get darker over winter homeowners need to pay attention to their security practices. Our analysis is particularly worrying for the UK’s over 50s, some of whom are living in larger family homes and may have worked hard for many years to build up irreplaceable personal possessions. And it’s not just loss of items that matter, burglaries are often extremely unpleasant and distressing.
“All property owners need to ensure that whatever their property size, they take the time this November and December to check their security measures, particularly around windows and back doors. It’s important that we make sure crime doesn’t pay for the UK’s opportunistic thieves and that people feel safe and secure in their homes.”
RIAS has put together a list of top tips to help homeowners protect their properties:
Ensure that your valuables aren’t hidden in obvious places. Do not store jewellery in the bedroom, spare cash in the bedside table, and don’t leave valuables in a place where they can be easily spotted from an external window. At Christmas time, resist the temptation to display your presents in the window under the tree.
Ensure that you fit a motion sensor light in hidden areas, such as by the back door. In addition, very visible burglar alarms and strong lighting can put a burglar off.
Don’t advertise your absence on social media. You may be excited about your holiday, but so will be robbers.
Keep spare keys safe and out of sight. By keeping them on the hall table or in the kitchen, offenders have the chance to not only steal your household belongings, but also make off with your car.
Always keep all access points locked when not being used. Ensure that gates, garages and sheds are locked; burglars will often try access points and move away quickly if they don’t have any luck. Do not be tempted to put out a ‘hidden’ key if you ever find yourself locked out. There is no place impossible for burglars to find – don’t make it easy for them!
Mark your possessions with UV pens so if the worst happens, recovery may be easier.
For more information about the full range of products RIAS offers, as well as practical advice for homeowners, customers can visit:
rias.co.uk/rias-and-you/insurance-and-you/home-security-tips/