Britain's burglary hotspots: are you at risk?
Londoners beware, because new research has revealed that you're far more likely to get robbed in Greater London than anywhere else outside it. Some 70% of all the top burglary hotspots were in the capital, where the noise and hectic pace of live make it easier for burglars to carry on their activities unnoticed.
The research, by Moneysupermarket, assessed the number of claims made in each area, to work out where homeowners are most likely to have made a claim for theft and burglary. They found that East London was a particular hotspot, along with the wealthier parts of South West London, and a number clustered in West Yorkshire.
The top ten were...
By contrast, postcodes in rural Scotland's Dumfries and Lochee, Felixstowe in Suffolk and Bangor in North Wales are among the areas with the lowest proportion of burglary claims in the UK.
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Stay safe
The researchers also asked victims what impact the burglary had had on them. Unsurprisingly the most common emotion was anger, followed by shock, and upset. Some 44% of people were worried that they might get burgled again, and those feelings lingered for at least a couple of months after the burglary took place. One in eight people said they'd never got over being robbed, while over half admitted to lasting effects.
The experts stressed that the long-lasting effects of a burglary mean it's essential to take precautions to protect your home, wherever you live. This includes always keeping doors and windows locked when you're asleep, or your home is unoccupied; installing timers on your lights to come on when you are not home; keeping valuable items out of sight - so they cannot be seen through windows; and fitting a suitable alarm system.
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