New Data reveals The Most Burgled Cities in the UK 

Burglary hotspots in England, Wales and Northern Ireland: the towns and places with the most and least break-ins

• Middlesbrough heads the bleak list as the UK’s burglary hotspot with proportionally more break-ins than anywhere else
• London boroughs make up nearly half of the top 10 least safest places in the UK.
• On the flip side, Plymouth has the safest homes in the UK

The highest burglary rates in the UK are concentrated in England, with all of the top 10 places located in this region. Notably, four London boroughs rank among the top 10, while Birmingham and Leeds also feature prominently on the list.

Using data from Crime Rate, online specialist insurance brokers at InsureMy analysed burglaries per 1,000 people from January 2022 to March 2023 in England, Wales and Northern Ireland to establish which places are the most and least burgled.

The police forces in England, Wales and Northern Ireland recorded 250,690 crime reports related to burglary in 2022, marking a 7% increase from the previous year’s figure of 235,280 burglary reports. The overall crime rate for burglary in 2022 was 4.2 reports per 1,000 people, compared to 3.9 reports per 1,000 people in 2021.

Although London residents are likely to believe they live in a crime hotspot, the study found that it is actually the Middlesbrough Constabulary that recorded the most raids on homes between January 2022 and March this year. Police officers in Middlesbrough have been kept busy, recording a burglary rate of 11.45, more than any other place in the UK.

London boroughs make up nearly half of the top 10 burglary hotspots with Westminster having the dubious honour of being top of the most burgled boroughs in London with a burglary rate of 10.85. Scoring a crime rate of 7.85, Southwark is next on the list among the most burgled boroughs in London closely followed by Hackney and Camden with a burglary rate of 7.63 and 7.30, respectively.

Following closely behind Middlesbrough and Westminster, Leeds ranks third as the most burgled place in the U.K with a burglary rate of 8.86 with Birmingham in succession with 8.35.

Hull bagged a lesser burglary rate of 8.26 per 1,000 people, ranking 5th on the list, while Sheffield was hit by 7.78 in the 7th position.

The 9th place was made up by Wolverhampton who came in at 7.31 before Camden in the final place.

On the other hand, there are some regions in the UK that experience significantly fewer burglaries. For people residing in London who are looking to relocate to an area with a lower risk of burglary, they may find it comforting to know that Brexley and the Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames are among the safest places in the UK, bagging a burglary rate of only 3.10 and 3.72.

Those who enjoy coastal living may also want to consider Swansea or Plymouth, which have been identified as the safest places to reside in terms of burglary rates. With just 1.60 burglaries per 1,000 residents in Plymouth and 3.00 in Swansea, the likelihood of being burgled is far lower in these regions compared to Middlesbrough or Westminster.

Commenting on the findings, a spokesperson for InsureMy said:

“Homeowners in the top ten cities for burglary may be concerned about the statistics, as they fear being vulnerable to burglaries in these hotspots. The high rate of burglaries in Middlesbrough, Westminster and Leeds is especially concerning, and it is imperative for homeowners to take proactive measures to prevent such incidents. 

As security experts, we believe that many burglary attempts can be thwarted if preventative measures are implemented. Therefore, it is essential to take necessary steps such as improving security systems, installing CCTV cameras, and insuring properties to prevent burglaries and minimize losses in case of an unfortunate event.  

Thanks to technological advancements, affordable and easy-to-install smart home devices, such as doorbells and automated lights, are also now available. These devices can alert you of any visitors at your doorstep without requiring you to physically approach the door, adding an extra layer of protection for your home.”  

The study was conducted by Insuremy.co.uk which helps people compare quotes and find the best cover.

Credit to insuremy.co.uk who provided the above post.