Friday 21st July 2006
Following the Home Office crime figures released yesterday (July 20th), insurer More Than has warned householders of the changing nature of UK crime.
Burglary is becoming less common as street crime and small item thefts increase, yesterdays figures revealed.
More Than say that even the sort of items taken during burglaries is changing: Thefts of hefty items are going down, while jewellery, cash and handbags are now the most commonly stolen articles.
The changing pattern means that although burglaries are decreasing in numbers, the value of items taken is rising as identity theft becomes more widespread.
"We are seeing a general increase in people carrying valuable items around with them during the day, which is making it easier for thieves to steal small, but high value items, such as handheld computers and mobile phones," said Craig Allen, head of home insurance at More Than.
"The best advice is to take sensible preventative measures. We urge people not to advertise valuable items when out on the streets and to make sure all items are insured," he advised.
Street crime and mugging increased by eight per cent last year, according to yesterdays figures, which also showed an increase in violent crime and armed muggings.
Despite this, the report showed that crime actually fell overall during 2005-06.
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