A list of burglary hotspots has listed Liverpool as the 94th most likely place to be burgled in the UK.
The information comes from MoneySuperMarket’s annual burglary claims tool.
The UK’s leading price comparison website analysed 3.1million home insurance claims over the last two years to identify the locations of the highest and lowest rate of claims for home contents theft within a five-year period.
For the Liverpool area (postcodes of L16) the tool shows that houses with this postcode have a 3.519% chance of being burgled. Out of the 2,402 UK postcode areas, it is the 94th most likely to put in a home insurance claim for burglary.
The research reveals a 2.5% increase in claims at an average of 16.04 claims per 1,000 in 2019 – up from 15.65 in 2018.
Liverpool and the wider Merseyside area have faired extremely well in the list with no areas listed in the Top 20 most likely places to be burgled.
Metropolitan areas appear to dominate the rankings for areas with the highest amount of claims, with 18 postcodes out of the top 20 being located in Britain’s three largest cities. Four of the top 20 are located within Greater Manchester. A further four are located in Greater Birmingham and London takes the most with nine areas featured on the list.
The research shows that burglaries are more common in colder, darker months, with claim numbers 12% higher in autumn than in summer.
You are also more likely to be burgled if in a house. They remain the preferred target of burglars and are 70% more likely to be burgled than flats.
Emma Garland, data scientist at MoneySuperMarket, commented: “Our research shows that burglary claims are continuing to rise, adding up to £50 to your premium.
“This could be down to burglars targeting more affluent areas, in order to steal desirable and expensive items. People in these areas are often more likely to have home insurance – simply because they can afford it – so we could see more claims as a result.
“It could also be because we’re seeing an increasing amount of people owning high value portable tech such as wireless headphones, fitness trackers, tablets and smartphones. These are all easy to steal, potentially contributing to the rise in the number of claims.
“Whatever the reason, it’s increasingly important to protect your home against theft. One option could be to look at the type of locks you currently have in your home, to help bolster the security of your doors and windows. Further measures such as burglar alarms, security lights and timers on your indoor lights that give the illusion of occupancy are all deterrents to burglars.
“Regardless of where you live, it’s always worth ensuring that you’ve got the right level of contents insurance cover for your needs. Shopping around could save you up to up to 41.70% (equivalent to £90.17) on your existing deal.”
You can check how your area compares to neighbouring postal districts and other locations in the UK by visiting MoneySuperMarket’s interactive Burglary Claims Tool, which displays the rate of burglary claims made in every postal area in the UK. You can also access information here on how to improve your home security and reduce the likelihood of burglary.