Business & Money

The top 20 hotspots for home theft revealed

London is the most likely place in the UK to make a claim for theft on their home insurance policy, despite the fact that a Manchester postcode makes the top spot for the area where the highest proportion of theft claims are made, research from moneysupermarket.com found.

The business comparison site analysed over 1.1 million home insurance enquiries made on the site in 2009 and found London held ten of the top 20 postcode districts most likely to have made a claim for theft, a whopping increase of 100% since the previous year.

Chorlton-Cum-Hardy, a suburban area in the city of Manchester (M21) takes the unfortunate top spot overall in the UK, while Blackheath (SE3) and Hammersmith (W6) are the most ‘at-risk' postcode districts in London for theft-related insurance claims.

Julie Owens, head of home insurance at moneysupermarket.com: "Home is where the heart is and there's no denying that having it burgled is an emotional and frightening experience.

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"Major cities, like London and Manchester, and affluent areas are a target for criminals and the research highlights a broad mix of areas across the north and south of the UK so it is clear that no matter where you live, there is always a risk your home could become a victim of theft and it is therefore vital you have adequate home insurance cover in place, something many people still do not do."

"Properties classified as being in a ‘high-risk' area - whether that be for crime, or something like flooding or subsidence for example, could affect the price of your insurance premiums.

“Unfortunately there is no escaping this and, to make matters more complicated, there are no hard and fast rules which apply.

“Most insurers have a blanket approach when it comes to assessing postcode districts for home insurance premiums. This really needs to change; if houses are evaluated on a case-by-case basis it would mean homeowners received quotes at the best possible prices for their individual circumstances.

"With recent statistics reporting that last summer insurers handled almost 80,000 domestic burglary claims paying out £84 million, homeowners need to be extra vigilant when it comes to security.

“You never know when an opportunistic thief may strike, so it's crucial you ensure home contents insurance is fully up to date, and is at a high enough level to cover all belongings sufficiently."

The 20 UK postcode districts most likely to claim for theft on their home insurance: