Burglary hotspots are revealed as figures show more than 500 homes are burgled every day

More than 500 homes were burgled every day in England and Wales last year, new data reveals.

The figures from insurer Churchill are based on data from 44 police forces and found there were 527 home burglaries reported each day – an increase on 2021, when there were 523 burglaries a day.

The biggest increases in burglaries annually in percentage terms were in Leicestershire, Staffordshire, and Cleveland, with an uptick of 39 per cent, 30 per cent and 26 per cent respectively.

The areas with the biggest rise in the number of burglaries during the past year have been revealed (scroll down for the full table of areas)

A total of 527 home burglaries took place every day in England and Wales, new figures have revealed

London residents reported the most burglaries last year, with the Metropolitan Police receiving 40,257 reports, followed by Greater Manchester at 16,761 and the West Midlands at 15,844 respectively.

Some of the biggest falls in domestic burglaries last year were in Devon and Cornwall, Merseyside, and South Wales.

In Devon and Cornwall, burglaries dropped 21 per cent in 2022 compared with the previous year, while burglaries also fell by 16 per cent in Merseyside and 12 per cent in South Wales.

The research found there were 3,536 aggravated domestic burglaries in 2022, where the criminal was armed with a firearm or weapon.

There were 3,536 aggravated domestic burglaries in 2022, where the criminal was armed with a firearm or weapon

It means there were 103 more aggravated burglaries last year compared with 2021.

It follows a separate survey of burglary victims by Churchill that found more than one in ten – at 12 per cent – households were burgled in the past five years.

Of those burgled, the overwhelming majority at 97 per cent said it had an impact on their family and day-to-day life.

More than half of those burgled at 54 per cent were in the property at the time of the burglary, while 44 per cent were not.

Most victims of burglary stated they experienced a mixture of feelings at the time, but being angry at 27 per cent, feeling less safe at 23 per cent and scared at 19 per cent were most common.

The average value of items stolen in burglaries was £1,368. Jewellery at 18 per cent, laptops or computers at 17 per cent and money at 17 per cent were the items typically stolen.

Sarah Khan, of Churchill home insurance, said: ‘This research highlights the importance of being extra vigilant, as burglaries are increasing in many parts of England and Wales.

‘Worryingly, many burglaries are committed while the victims are at home. In the hot summer weather, it can be tempting to leave windows open during evening or at night.

‘However, it’s important to take extra security precautions to make life as hard as possible for potential intruders by checking your doors, windows and garden gates are locked and keep valuables out of sight. Installing security lights, a home alarm system or a smart doorbell can also make your home more secure.

‘As the average burglary results in the loss of more than £1,000 worth of belongings, it’s sensible to ensure you have adequate home contents and buildings cover in place.

‘Our policies not only cover the cost of replacement belongings, but our burglary response team are on hand to replace broken locks, secure smashed windows, and board up broken door panels at any time to ensure our customers feel safe in their homes as soon as possible after a break-in.’

All police forces were looked at in the research, including the British Transport Police – but they were removed from the map of the top ten worst affected areas – by percentage increase – as the actual total number is so small. 

This post first appeared on Dailymail.co.uk