Wales found to have most vigilant neighbours – and most prolific holiday-snapping social media users

WALES HAS BEENfound to have the most vigilant neighbours in terms of doing something when a burglar alarm goes off, according to recent studies.

A recent survey, commissioned by Direct Line, found that the Welsh are the most likely to do something should they notice their neighbour’s homes being compromised, with the South East and South West not falling too far behind.

However, Wales was also found to have the most prolific social media users when on holiday, meaning that their absence from home is the most highly-publicised – the perfect tool for thieves to know if their target is away.

78% of burglars are said to use social media as a way to determine the next home they visit, and 1 in 7 Welsh residents told of their habit of sharing their whereabouts and holidays on networks such as Facebook and Twitter.

However, almost 80% of Welsh residents said they would do what they could to help in the event of their neighbour’s homes being broken into – a massive increase on other areas of the UK, such as London where less than 60% would do the same.

Wales also stands towards the top of the leader boards in terms of protecting homes, too. Boasting the second-most amount of smart alarms, behind only the East Midlands, it’s safe to say the country’s residents have the safety of both their homes and those of their neighbours in their best interest.

It seems the general attitude towards burglary and theft in Wales is considerably lax, with studies finding that basic precautions taken to prevent any unfortunate events from occurring are at less than the national average.

In addition, a somewhat surprising 13% of Welsh residents leave their front doors unlocked when they go out.

The studies, however, did find a dropping crime rate in terms of burglaries in Wales, meaning that residents have much less to worry about than other areas of the UK.

Want neighbours you can rely on? Move to Wales! Survey finds the Welsh are the most likely in Britain to help you if your burglar alarm goes off while you’re away

• But 1 in 7 fail to protect themselves from burglars by postingsocial media updates that indicate they’re away from home
• ONS figures show Wales had the biggest drop in recorded burglaries over the last year in Britain

A survey commissioned by Direct LineHome Insurance has revealed that the Welsh are the nation’s most prolific social media users when it comes to posting holiday snaps and location updates. Respondents were told 78% of burglars use social media to target properties¹, but1 in 7 people in Wales admit to sharing updates despite this warning.

In September this year, South Wales Police issued the following advice²: “It’s great posting updates or pics about what a fantastic holiday you’re having, but that could also be telling everyone your home is unoccupied. Some insurance companies are rejecting burglary claims for this very reason. Again, think before you post or send.”

But the survey – which examines the state of home security in Britain today – also found that more than three quarters of people living in Wales will do something about your alarm going off while you’re away, whether it’s calling the police, calling you or leaving their own home to investigate. This crowns your Welsh neighbours the most reliable in the country.

IMG: [Most likely to do something about it break down, across regions, compare to national average]

Smart alarmsuse HD cameras connected to apps that allow you to check in on your home any time while you’re away. In Wales, around 30% of survey respondents have smart alarms – the second highest in Britain behind the East Midlands. Even though regular surveillance is made easier with alarms of this sort, very few respondents in Wales use their smart systems to regularly check on their homes while they’re out. And around 8% have no alarm system at all.

Of course, there are other precautions you can take to protect your home, like locking your doors and windows and hiding valuables away from view. People living in Wales take just under the British average amount of burglary prevention measures when leaving their homes, and 13% leave their doors unlocked when they go out.

However, official figures show the need to be super vigilant when it comes to burglary in Wales may not be as important as it is in other areas of Britain. Data from the Office for National Statistics shows a -4% drop in all burglaries compared to last year, and a -3% in domestic burglaries. In fact, Welsh Police Forces combined recorded the biggest fall in burglary in England and Wales³.

ONS Police and Crime Statistics for year ending March 2017. *excluding fraud

In case the worst should happen and someone does break into your home, you can get some peace of mind with home insurance. Direct Line provide two types of home cover – buildings insurance and home contents cover. For more details of these you can view our home insurance policy documents online. Essentially, buildings insurance covers the structure of your home – including outbuildings and permanent fittings – against damage by incidents such as fire, flood or theft. Home contents protects the contents of your home – including carpets, furniture and electrical goods – in case of similar incidents⁴.