A recent United Nations report named Britain as having the highest burglary rates of any nation in Europe, and a report released by Halifax Insurance has warned that British homeowners are making it too easy for burglars to break into their homes. The report claims British homeowners regularly fail to take precautions to secure their property, allowing thieves easy access to their homes.



According to the report, one in three homeowners with an alarm fitted to their property admitted they regularly failed to activate their alarm when leaving their homes, while 37 per cent of homeowners said they don't lock external doors when they are in the home - despite the fact that one in five burglaries occur when the property is occupied. The report also found that convicted burglars were themselves surprised at the ease with which they could gain access to people's homes.

Professor Martin Gill, a criminologist from the University of Leicester who worked on the study said that homeowners need to be much more aware of the threat posed by thieves. He said:

"It's little wonder that Britain is the poor relation in Europe when it comes to burglary rates, given the startling ease with which thieves told us they can get into our homes? Britons could certainly be doing far more to protect both their homes and families.?

Metropolitan police statistics suggest a person has a one in fifty chance of being burgled in a twelve month period, with video recorders, DVD players, televisions, computers, cameras and mobile phones the most likely items to be stolen. Furthermore, they suggest the age of the average burglar to be male and aged between fifteen and eighteen years of age. 'He' is most likely to commit burglary between 3pm and 4pm when most houses are likely to be unoccupied and will gain entry to and leave the property by way of an unlocked window, spending no more than ten minutes in your home.

While the Halifax Insurance quote highlighted the inadequacy of many household's security measures, it also revealed a number of simple security steps that can act as an effective deterrent to potential burglars. These steps include installing a monitored burglar alarm, fitting bars and grilles to vulnerable windows to stop anyone climbing through and fitting security lighting on the exterior of your property.

While there are many ways to make your home more secure against burglars, it's always a good idea to compliment home security with a good home insurance policy which covers your home, possessions or both against robbery, fire, flood or other disaster. While home insurance can't prevent the loss of your possessions, it can cover the cost of replacing them in the event of any loss. Arranging is now relatively easy and can be done over the phone or world wide web. Furthermore, many home insurance policies afford generous levels of cover , thus removing the stress of replacing your possessions should disaster strike.