Burglaries fall for the first time in three years because of lockdown

Burglaries fall for the first time in three years because lockdown has made it harder to find empty homes to target, figures show

  • Would-be burglars are finding it harder to break into homes as everyone is in
  • Insurance claims for house burglaries fell for the first time in three years in 2020
  • Highest rate across country is B5 in Birmingham, followed by Romford’s RM4 

Lockdown has been tough for everyone – even burglars who have found it harder to raid properties because so many more people are at home.

Figures show insurance claims for house burglaries fell for the first time in three years in 2020, with experts citing the pandemic as the reason.

The highest burglary rate in the country is in the Birmingham postcode of B5. It topped the rankings for a second year in a row, with claims up 22 per cent on 2019.

Burglary rates are down as the criminals have found it harder to raid properties because people are staying home (stock image)

The RM4 postcode area of Romford, east London, was second. Bideford in Devon had the fewest burglary claims, followed by Ammanford in Carmarthenshire, and St Austell in Cornwall. A total of 3.1million home insurance claims were analysed for the research by price comparison site MoneySuperMarket.

Overall, there was a 7 per cent drop in burglaries in 2020, with an average of 14.98 claims per 1,000 quotes – down from 16.03 in 2019.

The research also revealed that claims were 22 per cent higher in autumn than in spring. Houses are 12 times more likely to be burgled than flats.

Kate Devine, an insurance expert at MoneySuperMarket, said: ‘Our research reveals that, after a few years of rises, burglary claims started to fall this year – something we believe is most likely linked to the various lockdown restrictions implemented over the past 10 months.

‘With more people at home than normal, it makes sense that potential burglars would see this as a deterrent which could explain the fall in claim numbers.’

A burglary claim can add, on average, £36 to an annual insurance premium, MoneySuperMarket said.

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