Beware Britain's burglary hotspots

Updated
Burglar breaking in during the day in a residential area
Burglar breaking in during the day in a residential area



Burglars are far more likely to strike in London than anywhere else in the country - with the capital taking 16 of the top 20 burglary claim hotspots in the UK. A new piece of research has revealed the postcodes where you are most likely to be burgled - which helps illuminate the things that make an area more risky than others.

Moneysupermarket.com's annual research into burglary hotspots found that SE21 - which covers South Tulse Hill & Dulwich - has seen the most burglary claims in the past 12 months, with 61.2 claims per thousand quotes. East London then takes the next three positions, with IG5 (Clayhall), IG4 (Redbridge), and IG2 (Gants Hill).

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The top ten
1. SE21 South Tulse Hill & Dulwich
2. IG1 Clayhall
3. IG4 Redbridge
4. IG2 Gants Hill
5. N20 Whetstone
6. TW5 Heston
7. EN4 Hadley Wood
8. N11 New Southgate
9. IG6 Barkingside
10. TW11 Teddington

The only places outside London in the top 20 are B70 (West Bromwich) at 11, M21 (Chorlton-cum-Hardy, Barlow Moor) at 15, LS5 (Hawksworth, Kirkstall) at 16, and MK46 (Olney) at 20.

Why?

The areas have been targeted for one of two reasons. Kevin Pratt, consumer affairs expert at MoneySuperMarket, explains: "Burglars have two thoughts uppermost in their minds: where am I most likely to find something worth stealing and where am I least likely to get caught? Our findings suggest thieves favour busy urban areas where strangers are unlikely to be spotted and it's easy to make a quick getaway. But leafy suburbs are also heavily targeted, with burglars following the money to affluent areas."

Teddington is one of those leafy suburbs, while the researchers also found North Kensington made 12th place on the list. Both have their fair share of multi-million pound properties, which help attract thieves.

Many of the other areas on the list have plenty of densely populated housing, with a fast turnover of residents, so it's hard to spot something out of the ordinary, and easy to get away with burglary. It demonstrates how valuable it can be to get to know your area, and those living nearby.

Protect yourself

Jim Maddan, Chair for the Neighbourhood and Home Watch Network, said: "If you live in an urban area, it's well worth exchanging a few friendly words with your neighbours, especially those who overlook your property or access points. If everyone makes a small amount of effort to be aware of what's going on around them and reports any suspicious activity, it helps keep the whole community safer. Criminals certainly don't want to operate where they think they might be seen."

It's worth noting that some of these areas are also at the far reaches of the tube network - such as Whetstone and Hainault - where burglars know that commuting professionals will be out for hours working in the city centre - with a long journey home.

With so many people away from home for such long periods during the day, it's important to take sensible steps to protect your property. This includes always keeping doors and windows locked when you are out or in bed; installing timers on lights so they come on at night when you're away; keeping items of value out of view through windows - and keys out of reach through letterboxes; installing an alarm and signing up to a neighbourhood watch scheme.



How To Protect Your Valuables From Burglars
How To Protect Your Valuables From Burglars


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