It’s hard to convince a would-be burglar not to bothering breaking into a house, when the figures relating to the sale of stolen goods say so strongly otherwise. A survey carried out by Halifax Home Insurance has revealed that one third of people buy goods that they know were potentially stolen. Why? Because the deal is too good to resist. A top range digital camera could cost £200 or more, if you’re offered it for £50 then would you be able to say no? And we’ve all seen goods going for far less than their market rate in our high streets, but do we report the criminals? Not so far.

The study estimates that 6.5 million Britons have given money to criminals on the street in exchange for stolen goods, amounting to a collective spend of around £247 million. The savings consumers make hit the high street, as the money’s not being spent there, which in turn affects the economy. The repercussions affect homeowners the worst, obviously, as there’s nothing to discourage burglars from giving up their illegal pastimes. Insurance companies end up paying out more they bargained for, which pushes premiums up. It’s a perpetual circle in which the only winners are those breaking the law.

So what can we do about it? The answer is obvious – don’t buy goods that you suspect might be stolen. Report people that you think may be dealing in stolen goods to the police, although this is easier said than done. And also, were you aware that if you are found to have bought an item that was burgled from a house, you could face criminal prosecution? Clearly not enough incentive to stop one third of people from making the purchase.

The survey also revealed some other interesting figures. For example, 85% of those that admitted to buying what they assumed were stolen goods, said that they didn’t actually care if they had been stolen or not. They just wanted to get a bargain.

It’s not all bad news for those worried about the moral state of Britain however, 20% of those buying potentially stolen goods on the street said they did enquire as to where the goods came from. Of course, there’s nothing to stop the vendor lying about the goods’ origins, but it’s nice to know that some people care, even if only a little bit.

There is something else we can do to stop this perpetual chain of events, although it’s not foolproof. Homeowners can improve their home security – good suggestions to avoid being a target are: join/start a neighbourhood watch scheme; invest in security lights; get a burglar alarm; and invest in high quality door and window locks.

You can also take measures to help improve your chances of regaining any stolen goods, such as marking all expensive items like TV and computers with an invisible UV pen, and taking photos of expensive items so police have a better chance of recognising and recovering the item.

Naturally, taking all the above measures and more cannot provide an absolute guarantee that thieves will be deterred, so be sure to invest in a good home and contents insurance policy. The Internet is the best place for the cheapest deals, especially as many insurers offer online discounts, and many also offer discounts for customers that take out more than one type of policy – both car and home insurance, for example.