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Leeds is third most-burgled city while London comes in seventh
That’s according to research by smart security system provider, Canary. In the top 10 most-burgled cities Newcastle tops the list, Brighton is second and Leeds has the dubious honour of coming third. Leeds is the only Yorkshire city to feature. Here is the full list:
1. Newcastle
2. Brighton
3. Leeds
4. Manchester
5. Edinburgh
6. Liverpool
7. London
8. Nottingham
9. Southampton
10. Glasgow
The report also reveals other rather depressing stats:
1 in 3 people will experience a burglary at some point in their life
Only 1 in 5 of those burgled will see a conviction
Only 1 in 8 will get any of their property back
22% of those who experienced a break-in didn’t even bother to report it, mainly due to lack of confidence that it would be investigated
Living in a city with a high burglary rate is not only worrying, in terms of the risk of a break-in, but is also likely to drive up the cost of home insurance.
To sum it up: you’re quite likely to be burgled; the burglars are unlikely to be caught; and you’re probably not going to get any of your stolen possessions back. Plus, you pay out more in insurance whether you get burgled or not.
That really is depressing BUT it does highlight the importance of preventative security measures. These are the most common security measures (according to this report) that people have taken to protect themselves against burglary:
52% lock all external doors when in the house (most burglaries are enabled by insecure doors and windows)
30% have fitted burglar alarms
21% have fitted net curtains to stop others looking in
20% have fitted state of the art lock technology
18% installed timers for lights and radios
15% displayed a Neighbourhood Watch sign
15% got a dog to scare off intruders
9% installed CCTV cameras
If you don’t have any of the above in place (and especially if you live in Leeds!) then you really ought to consider a few. We would certainly recommend good quality locks and, of course, consistently keeping your doors locked (even when at home). A burglar alarm is advisable as well.
For advice on these measures or home security in general please give us a call on 0345 833 5543.