Burglary in Britain: Concerns, Reality and Tips to Keep Your Home Safe

Recent research carried out by IronmongeryDirect questioned 1,000 residents in the UK to determine just how safe they feel and overall, 53% of people have concerns about burglary, with 47% worrying regularly and 6% worrying all the time. However, 93% of inhabitants of the North West claim to feel safest but those in the West Midlands feel the least safe, despite more burglaries occurring in London above everywhere else.

A third of the people questioned reported having their home broken into in the last five years and 9% were victims of burglary more than once; 43% reported being aware of someone in their neighbourhood being broken into.

Despite these worries, many residents don’t have satisfactory anti-burglary systems in place: 87% report only using locks, and 52% have security lights. The third most popular form of home security system used by those questioned was a burglar alarm (40%) but only 16% had advanced technology like CCYV systems installed at their homes.

Worry v Reality

Do these worries correlate with actual burglary statistics though? MoneySuperMarket have released details of home insurance quotes by postcode and the highest claims made for theft of home contents was the SE21 postcode in London, closely followed by M21 in Manchester, LS5 in Leeds, and MK46 in Milton Keynes.

Police Reports

It seems residents in the West Midlands may be warranted in their fears as it was recently reported by the Office of National Statistics that West Midlands Police were found to have less arrests for burglaries than any other area. Overall, 2014/15 saw a fall in burglaries across the UK but of the 392,341 burglaries reported, only 54,466 arrests were made. Consequently, if you are unlucky enough to be burgled, it is unlikely that the culprit(s) will be found, so these statistics show us that prevention of burglary is really our best bet.

Home Security Improvements

Many burglaries occur through the foolishness of residents; police figures have reported a rise in burglaries solely due to people leaving their keys in accessible places such as under the welcome mat. Homeowners must put measures in place to protect their property and these may involve spending a bit of money. Every home should be fitted with a burglar alarm and one that is armed both when residents are out of the house but also when they’re in bed. There has been a significant rise in the number of break-ins which occur when residents are in bed. Basic alarms are available from as little as £99 including two window sensors and a door sensor; there are even wireless or smartphone operated systems too, many of which are easy to install. Other security options include: door viewers so you can see who’s visiting your property before opening the doors; fencing; bars or reinforced glass for windows; deadbolts on doors, and security gates. In addition to these improvements, there are simple steps you can take to make your home safer:

1. Do not advertise your home is empty by ‘checking in’ on Facebook or posting your holiday snaps while you’re away. Only inform your closest friends/family when you are going on holiday.

2. Sign up to the local Neighbourhood Watch Scheme or start one yourself.

3. Keep doors locked even when you are at home.

4. Use timers on lamps to give the impression you’re home even when you’re not.

5. Take extra care in the summer - opportunistic thieves have been known to nip in through open patio doors during summer time!

6. Ensure all downstairs windows are locked when you’re out of the house and don’t leave them open if you are going to be upstairs for a long period of time.

7. Leave a spare key with a friend/relative in the event that someone in the home loses theirs – it’s a lot safer than ‘hiding’ one under the mat!

8. Do not give out spare keys to workmen; try to arrange to be home when any home improvements are taking place.

9. Keep your garden/yard area tidy – this gives the impression to would-be burglars that you are on top of maintenance and in effect, ‘always’ at home.

10. Do not leave anything of value outside your property or in plain sight. Leaving garden tools can provide burglars with the right equipment to jemmy open a window, and leaving jewellery/cash/expensive televisions visible is providing burglars with incentive. Furthermore, leaving the keys to your beloved vehicle right by the front door allows them to not only steal from your home, but also gives them a getaway vehicle.