London dominates list of burglary hotspots as we reveal the safest postcodes in Britain
London dominates list of burglary hotspots as we reveal the safest postcodes in Britain
BRITAIN’S burglary capital is Redbridge in north east London, a study has found.
It has the highest crime rate of almost 55 claims per 1,000 quotes, in a survey of more than 1.8million home insurance files by MoneySuperMarket.com.
London postcodes dominated the top 20 list of the areas with the most claims, with only four being outside of the capital.
Other postcodes in London making an appearance are Whetstone (N20), Chadwell Heath (RM6) and Clayhall (IG5).
Leeds is the only area outside the capital to feature at the top end of the list, taking fourth place.
While Cambridge, which avoided the top 20 last year, has risen to position 12 in the latest analysis, with a rate of 41.8 burglary claims per 1,000 quotes.
Chorlton-cum-Hardy in Manchester (M21) also features in the top 20, with a rate of 40.5 burglary claims per 1,000 quotes, alongside Leeds (LS8), which has a rate of 39.3 burglary claims per 1,000 quotes.
But residents of Dulwich (SE21), last year’s top hotspot, will be pleased to see it has fallen to number nine this year, with the rate of burglary claims in the area dropping by an impressive 29 per cent.
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The MoneySuperMarket data reveals that the value of claims submitted in winter are on average 36 per cent higher than those submitted in summer, probably because of the presence of high-value Christmas presents in the home.
The value of insurance for laptops, jewellery, watches and bicycles has also grown in the last year, as Brits invest in the latest gadgets.
The average collective value of itemised possessions (items listed on contents policies because of their high value, typically £1,500 or more) was £4,192 per policy in autumn 2016, which is over a third more than in 2011.
Overall, the rate of burglary claims has fallen by eight per cent in the last year. Last year, the average rate was 13.58 per 1,000 quotes, dropping to 12.44 per 1,000 in this year’s analysis.
Monkseaton in North Tyneside (NE25) and Bideford in Devon (EX39) share the lowest rate of burglary claims, according to the data.
Other areas successfully keeping burglars at bay include Witney in Oxfordshire (OX28), which shares a rate of 1.3 claims per 1,000 quotes with six other postcodes across the UK.
Households can check how their area compares to neighbouring postal districts and other locations in the UK at , which displays the rate of burglary claims made in every postal area in the UK.
Visitors can also access information on how to improve their home security and reduce the likelihood of burglary.
Kevin Pratt, consumer affairs expert at MoneySuperMarket, said: “Burglary results in a double dose of trauma, with both emotional and financial repercussions taking a long-term toll on those affected.
“To avoid the turmoil, it’s vital to be vigilant against break-ins and to bolster home security to prevent them in the first place. It’s also crucial to ensure you have contents insurance in place to cover you should the worst happen.”
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