The Top 20 UK Burglary Hotspots

London is still the burglary capital of the UK, taking 16 of the top 20 hotspots, new research shows. According to MoneySuperMarket’s annual burglary claims analysis, the London borough of Redbridge has most burglary claims overall – moving up from third place last year – with 54.7 claims per 1,000 quotes. The rest of the top five is dominated by London postcodes, with Whetstone, Chadwell Heath and Clayhall all making an appearance.

The LS5 area in Leeds is the only place outside the capital to feature at the top end of the list, taking fourth place, with a rate of 48.3 burglary claims per 1,000 quotes.Cambridge (CB5) has risen to twelfth place, with a rate of 41.8 burglary claims per 1,000 quotes. Chorlton-cum-Hardy in Manchester also has also made top 20, with a rate of 40.5 burglary claims per 1,000 quotes.

Residents of Dulwich (SE21), last year’s top hotspot, will be pleased to see it has fallen to number nine this year, with the rate of burglary claims in the area dropping by an impressive 29%.The data revealed that the value of claims submitted in winter are on average 36% higher than those submitted in summer, probably because of the presence of high-value Christmas presents in the home. The value of insurance for laptops, jewellery, watches and bicycles has also grown in the last year, as Brits invest in the latest gadgets. The average collective value of itemised possessions was £4,192 per policy in autumn 2016, which is over a third more than in 2011.Overall, the rate of burglary claims has fallen by eight per cent in the last year. Last year, the average rate was 13.8 per 1,000 quotes, dropping to 12.44 per 1,000 in this year’s analysis.

Monkseaton in North Tyneside (NE25) and Bideford in Devon (EX39) share the lowest rate, with 0.9 claims per 1,000 quotes. Other areas successfully keeping burglars at bay include Witney in Oxfordshire (OX28) which shares a rate of 1.3 claim per 1,000 quotes with six other postcodes across the UK.Kevin Pratt, consumer affairs expert at MoneySuperMarket, said: “Our findings suggest busy urban areas are the biggest targets for theft, but those who call leafy suburbia home should also be aware of the risks associated with the higher anticipated value of their belongings.

“Burglary results in a double dose of trauma, with both emotional and financial repercussions taking a long-term toll on those affected. To avoid the turmoil, it’s vital to be vigilant against break-ins and to bolster home security to prevent them in the first place. It’s also crucial to ensure you have contents insurance in place to cover you should the worst happen.“It is encouraging to see the overall rate of burglary claims has dropped eight per cent in the last year, in line with the fall in recorded burglaries. That’s no doubt thanks to improvements in home security, although the falling cost of electrical items, such as TVs, might be significant as, simply put, there’s less need for burglars to steal items than in the past.”Do you live in a burglary hotspot? To find out how your address compares to the rest of the UK, enter your postcode here.