• Lichfield is home to the richest burglars in the UK, with the average burglar’s haul totalling over £5,000
• St. Albans and Durham also appear in the top three, whilst London is eighth on the list
• Based on the average value of possessions stolen, those that are affected by burglary in smaller cities are forced to pay more to replace stolen items
   

Lichfield is the burglary capital of the UK, according to new claims data1 released by Privilege Home Insurance. Between January 2016 and April 2017 the average thief in the Lichfield area, made off with over £5,000 from every home burgled.

When it comes to the average value of items stolen, St. Albans and Durham are the next burglary hot spots, with householders having to replace £4,892 and £4,833 worth of stolen items respectively.

Perhaps surprisingly, London comes in eighth place on the list, with the average burglar’s haul totalling just under £4,000 in the capital.
 

Burglary Capitals of the UK – Top 20

Based on average value of possessions stolen

Source: Privilege Home Insurance

By contrast, based on the average value of items stolen from burglaries, the ‘safest’ place to live in the UK is Bath. The claims data found that residents had to replace just over £1,300 of personal belongings, following a break-in.
 

Safest cities in the UK

Based on average value of possessions stolen

Source: Privilege Home Insurance

The report analysed claims for burglary that were closed between 1 January 2016 and 30 April 2017.

Christian Mendes, head of Privilege home insurance, comments: “Interestingly, we can see the average value of stolen goods from households in smaller cities, equates to more than some of the UK’s larger cities.

“This data highlights the importance of having a reliable insurance policy in place to cover any stolen items, no matter where you call home.  By having the correct policy in place, you can focus on dealing with the emotional side of having to deal with a burglary without having to worry about your home insurance cover.”

Top tip-offs for householders  

Source: Privilege Home Insurance

1. All insurance policies have a limit to how much money they will replace if stolen in the case of a burglary. Therefore, it is important to make sure you do not have more cash stored in your home than insurer is willing to replace. In the case of Privilege, our standard home insurance policy covers people up to £500 and our Platinum policy provides cover up to £1,000.
   
   
2. People should also be aware about the definition of ‘money in the home’. It also includes items such as gift vouchers, cheques, postal orders, savings stamps, Premium Bonds, travel tickets, Travellers Cheques, phone vouchers and even postage stamps fall within this definition.
   
   
3. On both the ‘Standard’ and ‘Platinum’ home insurance policy, Privilege allows customers to cover any contents in their home for up to £100,000. This may seem like a lot, but most people undervalue their possessions by a third – especially when it comes to family heirlooms and jewellery. For items stolen from a garage, summer house or shed, there is a limit of £2,500 for ‘Standard’ policies and £5,000 for ‘Platinum’ – so homeowners should think carefully about what they leave in their outbuildings.
   
   
4. Most insurers will have certain items homeowners need to declare individually as ‘valuable’. With Privilege, items worth over £2,000 such as jewellery, watches or sentimental, family items, should all be declared. This will speed up the process of replacing any items through making a claim, as it will prove to your insurer they were in your possession, before being burgled.
   
   
5. Householders should regularly check their homes are secure against thieves. Remembering to lock windows, back doors and setting burglary alarms are all good ways of deterring unwanted intruders when leaving the home unoccupied.
    

ENDS
 

For more information, please contact: Fran Langdon or Laura Nugent at Van Communications:

[email protected] / laura@rtc.london / 020 3179 0720

Notes to editors

1 Direct Line Group analysis of home insurance claims data for 2016, carried out in May 2017. All overall UK market data is based on Direct Line Group figures.

Privilege

Privilege Insurance specialises in car insurance for safe drivers. It also offers home insurance and breakdown cover by phone or on-line.

Privilege general insurance policies are underwritten by U K Insurance Limited, Registered office: The Wharf, Neville Street, Leeds LS1 4AZ. Registered in England and Wales No 1179980. U K Insurance Limited is authorised by the Prudential Regulation Authority and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority and the Prudential Regulation Authority.

Privilege and U K Insurance Limited are both part of Direct Line Insurance Group plc.  

Customers can find out more about Privilege’s products or get a quote by calling 0345 246 0515 or visiting www.privilege.co.uk