16 June 2007
(source: Endsleigh)

Nottingham residents most at risk from burglary

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New figures published today by Endsleigh Insurance, the leading insurance provider for career people, identify the UK's riskiest and safest towns and cities for burglary. Nottingham tops the list of riskiest places for burglary - while Guildford comes out as the safest.

The figures were revealed in Endsleigh's latest 'Homes Report', which shows the UK's top ten safest and riskiest towns and cities for burglaries. The results were collected by analysing theft claims across the UK over the last four years from the hundreds of thousands of people insured by Endsleigh. Endsleigh has compared the frequency of claims in different UK towns and cities to the Endsleigh national average. This means that the report shows the risk of an actual incident occurring rather than just the total number of incidents that have occurred. The report also covers accidents, determining the most and least accident-prone towns and cities.

The riskiest and safest towns and cities for burglary according to Endsleigh's report, are:

• Riskiest for household theft: Nottingham, Leeds, Hull
• Safest for household theft: Guildford, Swindon, Dundee

The data shows that Nottingham residents are almost twice as likely to make a claim for household theft - with the risk 88.7%% higher than Endsleigh's national average. The city has shown some improvement however, as claims for theft have been slowly falling - a perception which is backed up by recent Home Office statistics, showing burglary is down in the Nottingham area by 19%. Leeds and Hull residents are 63.2% and 55.6% more likely respectively to make a claim than the average Endsleigh policyholder.

Residents in Guildford come out as the safest, as the figures show they are least likely to suffer a burglary - 64% less likely to make a claim than the Endsleigh average. Swindon and Dundee follow closely behind as the second and third safest respectively.

According to the figures on accidental damage, Hove residents are the most accident-prone, at over 35% more likely to claim for accidental damage. Manchester residents were ranked the UK's 'least clumsy'.

The riskiest and safest towns and cities for accidents in the home, according to Endsleigh, are:

• Riskiest for household accidents: Hove, Plymouth, Milton Keynes
• Safest for household accidents: Manchester, Leeds, Stockport

Endsleigh spokesman Stuart Wartalski said:

"As our Homes Report shows, every householder in the country needs to be aware of the risks of burglary. Clearly, some towns and cities have come out as having a higher risk than others, but what is encouraging is that overall burglary rates are falling - even in the riskiest towns and cities. This must be due at least in part to the many initiatives police, local councils and community groups across the country have set up to combat household security issues.

"It is crucial that, as well as getting involved in neighbourhood safety schemes where they can, people across the country remain vigilant when it comes to home security. There is a range of steps that householders can take to protect their homes, such as installing burglar alarms, window locks, double-glazing and motion-sensitive lighting. Even simple, cost-effective measures such as using plug-in timers for lights and radios when you are out or on holiday, can make a difference in putting off potential burglars."