Homeowner shares ‘terrifying’ robbery as burglaries rise ‘drastically’ across the UK

Property expert Abi Oniru explains the concept of ‘Rent to Rent’

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According to the recent data, 69 percent of Britons are concerned about being burgled when returning to work, as there has been a significant rise in house robberies since the return to normal life.

Britons are now able to socialise again as well as return to the office or go on holiday.

With many spending the day away from home, burglaries have increased 6.2 percent since the beginning of the year.

Research by Churchill Home Insurance shows that there have been 3,600 more burglaries between April and June than during the first months of the year, which account for £169 million worth of stolen goods.

Because of this, Britons are more worried than ever about leaving the house.

The research showed that 42 percent are concerned about leaving their home during an extended period of time such as when going on holiday, while 37 percent are more worried about being burgled while going out locally for a short period of time.

However, most Britons are concerned about returning to work with over two million being preoccupied with their home safety.

Anne is a 35-year-old living in south west London whose home was burgled a few weeks ago while she was out for a couple of hours.

“I went to the supermarket with the kids in the afternoon. I was out for just a couple of hours.

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“When I came back, the house had been burgled. It was terrifying.

“They took everything: my designer bags, all my jewellery and many items that had a very personal meaning. Many things belonged to my mum who passed away last year. That was the worst.”

Anne said the thieves had probably been watching her as they knew when she was going to go out and for how long.

London, is indeed the most burgled region, with 34 percent of Londoners having been robbed in the past five years.

Surprisingly, 34 percent of burglaries take place when the homeowners are in the property.

But what should people do to prevent a burglary?

– Make sure the door is locked and the windows are closed, especially at night.

– Install security measures and avoid items that can be useful for breaking in such as ladders or hammers.

– Before going away, leave the lights or the radio on to make the burglars think the house is occupied.

– Take part in the Neighbourhood Watch schemes in order to make your area safer.

– Make sure you have a home insurance policy that will replace stolen items in case the worst happens.

Head of Churchill home insurance, Steven Williams, commented on the matter.

“With lockdown restrictions easing it is unsurprising that people are taking advantage and leaving their homes more.

“Our habits have changed drastically over the past 18 months and we may have become complacent about home security as we have spent so much time there.

“As people prepare to go on holiday and return to the office, we are encouraging them to take the time to look at what security measures they have in place and check simple things – such as doors and windows are locked – before leaving. It is often the simple measures that are the most effective,” he recommended.

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