LV= reveals the university towns hit hardest by crime

As university students get set to welcome in the start of Freshers Week (7 October 2008), statistics from insurer LV= have revealed the university towns in Britain where students are most likely to be burgled or be hit by car crime.

LV= claims data from between July 2007 and July 2008 has revealed that students going to university in Birmingham, Bristol and Manchester are at a far higher risk of becoming a victim of crime than those in the safer towns of Lancaster, Durham and St Andrews.

The data has revealed that out of the top 30 university towns in the UK, the highest risk for both burglary and car theft is Manchester. Other big cities have fared no better, with Birmingham, London, Bristol and Cardiff making up the top five most crime ridden university towns.

Scottish cities buck the trend with Edinburgh, Aberdeen and St Andrews all appearing in the top five lowest crime rates of the top 30 university towns.

Car Crime

Looking at worst five university towns for car crime, Manchester, Birmingham, Bristol and Sheffield are the highest risk for both theft of and theft from the car. Students in Cardiff are amongst the most likely to have their car stolen, whilst students in Nottingham are at a higher risk of finding their cars broken into.

Burglary

The data has shown that Manchester and Birmingham are the university towns with the highest burglary rates. Students are least likely to be broken into if they are studying in Durham and Lancaster.

Emma Holyer, spokesperson for LV= Home and Car Insurance, commented: "When you are starting university it's easy to overlook sorting out insurance when there are so many other things to think about but students can become victims of crime like any other person. Students should put insurance cover in place for their possessions and also update their car insurance if they are moving away from home."

"Some home insurers include cover for students going off to university, so parents should check their documents to see if their policy includes this cover, otherwise a separate policy can be taken out. Students with cars need to let their insurer know where the car will be kept term time to ensure their policy remains valid."