Festivals prove to be music to thieves' ears

Forget the problems of contending with tent poles, mud up to your knees, or finding a clean loo - festival-goers this summer are risking over £3 billion's worth of personal possessions which can often prove to be rich pickings for thieves.

New research from Zurich Insurance reveals that almost a million festival-goers, nearly one in ten, have had their possessions stolen while listening to their favourite bands. And the days of pitching up with little more than a tent and a pair of wellies are now long gone. The average value of personal items that people carry or might carry with them amounts to over £260, including valuable items such as mobile phones (82 per cent), cameras or memory cards (63 per cent), iPods and MP3 players (16 per cent) and of course wallets (71 per cent) and cash (90 per cent) .

Despite the hazards of sharing personal space with hundreds of thousands of strangers, the research shows that the majority of festival-goers (75 per cent) don't consider safeguarding their belongings and do not take out any sort of insurance whatsoever.

Risks could be even higher for inexperienced festival-goers, with the research showing that over half a million (6 per cent) of those planning to attend a festival this year have never been before.

Mike Quinton, managing director for Direct & Partnerships at Zurich said, "One in four British adults said they were planning on attending a festival this summer and it would be all too easy to get swept up in the summer spirit and forget to take even the simplest of precautions with their belongings. Our research shows that many music lovers are taking unnecessary risks by storing expensive goods in tents, carrying pricey items on them and failing to consider protecting themselves from theft. We urge all festival goers this summer to plan ahead, only take what they need to as well as checking their cover before they go."

Top tips if you're attending a festival this summer:

1) Do not to take anything that you can't afford to lose. Leave credit and debit cards at home if you are not going to use them, or just take one card with you for emergencies

2) Make sure that you've got your insurance organised before you go. You may need to consider Personal Possessions insurance - sometimes called ‘All Risks' cover - which covers your possessions while they are outside your home

3) Buy cheap where possible - take a disposable camera rather than an expensive one and use a cheaper tent, rather than a top-of-the-range hiking tent

4) Avoid padlocking your tent - this will make it look as though you have something worth stealing

5) Use the security lock-ups for your valuables and passport - these are sometimes free and available 24 hours

6) If you are a victim of theft or loss, your first port of call should be lost property

7) If your possessions do not turn up, report the loss/theft in the Police tent/van

8) Ensure that you get a crime reference number for insurance purposes