Britain's most burgled cities and towns
Homeowners urged to lock up their valuables and beware of burglars during the ‘most burgled’ time of the year
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.November 2012 saw an average 10 per cent increase in burglary frequency last year, with the first week in December seeing a rise of 25 per cent, according to analysis from over 50s insurance provider RIAS.
Its figures indicated that Bradford, London, Manchester and Leeds are Britain’s most burgled cities and put the average claim cost of a burglary at £2,433, increasing to £2,474 in November.
Five bedroom houses are three times more likely to be robbed than one bedroom properties, with claims 127 per cent more on average. Jewellery, cash and laptops are the most desirable items for burglars who most commonly break in through back doors and windows.
"As the nights get darker over winter homeowners need to pay attention to their security practices," said Peter Corfield, Managing Director at RIAS. "Our analysis is particularly worrying for the UK’s over 50s, some of whom are living in larger family homes and may have worked hard for many years to build up irreplaceable personal possessions. And it’s not just loss of items that matter, burglaries are often extremely unpleasant and distressing."
The top 10 cties/towns for burglary frequency
1. Bradford
2. London
3. Manchester
4. Leeds
5. Oldham
6. Milton Keynes
7. Coventry
8. Huddersfield
9. Sheffield
10. Redhill
Source: RIAS
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments