One in ten homes targeted by burglars

One in ten (10 per cent) households in the UK have either suffered burglary or an obvious attempted burglary in the last five years, according to research from Direct Line Home Insurance. This is equivalent to 2.4 million homes being affected across the UK.

Direct Line's Security Behaviours Research looked at the number of homes that had fallen victim to burglary in the past five years, as well as householder behaviours in response to the risk during the darker, winter months. It shows that Londoners suffered the most burglaries or attempted burglaries (13 per cent) followed by the North East and North West (12 per cent). Wales and the South West of England were the safest areas, suffering the least amount of theft or attempted theft from the home (6 per cent) during the five year period.

Many householders are making security enhancements as it gets darker outside

(67 per cent). Nearly half (44 per cent) leave the lights on when they leave their home so it looks like there are people inside and over a third (35 per cent) ensure that their downstairs curtains and blinds are drawn when the lights are on so would-be burglars cannot look inside.

Despite Londoners experiencing the most burglaries, householders in inner cities are less likely to take extra precautions against burglary, with only a quarter (27 per cent) leaving the lights on compared to nearly half (46 per cent) of those living in villages or small towns. Additionally, only eight per cent of householders in inner city areas use security lights compared to 22 per cent of those living in rural areas.

Andrew Lowe, Head of Direct Line Home Insurance, comments: "Opportunistic thieves may well be on the prowl as winter approaches and dark nights close in. A few security improvements may prevent you from becoming a victim of burglary and keep your possessions safe. Our research shows people living in areas with a higher rate of burglary are less likely to carry out simple security enhancements such as locking windows at night."

The research also shows that the majority of householders alter their personal security behaviours during the winter (59 per cent). Over a third

(36 per cent) are more cautious about answering the door to strangers, a third (33 per cent) pay more attention to strangers on the street and over a fifth (22 per cent) make an effort to keep an eye out for neighbours and their possessions.

The over 55s are more likely to be cautious about answering the door to strangers (45 per cent) compared to the 18-34s (29 per cent). The over 55s are also more likely to keep an eye out for their neighbours and their possessions (30 per cent) than their younger counterparts (14 per cent).

For security advice including tips on securing your home, please visit directline.com/home/home-security.htm