Winter festival for thieves

6th January, 2006

Burglaries are likely to rise by 50 per cent during the first week of January, according to research by Halifax home insurance.

The company said that household robbery could increase by 30 per cent in the first month of the year and the absence of home security is often a major contributing factor to the problem. Over three quarters of the homes burgled last year did not have any form of alarm.

'Whilst adequate insurance can compensate for the financial loss of theft, those who have had the misfortune of being burgled in the past will know that being a victim of crime means much more than just a financial loss,' said Vicki Emmot, senior underwriting manager at Halifax.

She said that post-Christmas houses were 'especially tempting and potentially lucrative' targets for burglars, with houses full of brand new electronic and high value goods such as Playstation Portables, plasma TVs and iPods.

The firm received 22,000 claims for theft in 2005, with the average claim for home contents insurance rising to £1,500.

To limit the impact of a burglary, taking out contents insurance will make sure that your stolen items can be replaced without costing you a hefty sum.

 

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