Burglaries, vandalism on the rise
April 27, 2007 by admin
Filed under News, News-Insurance
The latest figures show that overall crime in Britain has fallen by two per cent but homeowners will be concerned that burglary and vandalism rates are up.
Home Office statistics reveal that burglaries rose by eight per cent, while vandalism increased by 11 per cent in the final quarter of 2006.
These figures have led to a leading insurance firm carrying out its own research in which it found that one in ten Brits have had their property vandalised.
According to research by Lloyds TSB, half of the population believe that vandalism is one of the biggest problems currently facing modern British society, while 22 per cent are concerned that they will become a victim.
The most common form of vandalism is the ransacking of homes, while smashing windows, damaging fences, putting graffiti on walls and smashing garden ornaments are also popular.
“Prevention is always better than cure when it comes to crime and it is great to see evidence that crime appears to be falling in some areas,” commented Phil Loney from Lloyds.
“However our own research backs up today’s crime survey figures which show that vandalism is a problem on the rise. Insurance is vital in this equation and home owners can’t afford to cut back on their cover.”
The perceived causes of vandalism are varied with many Brits blaming a lack of discipline at home (79 per cent), boredom (74 per cent), alcohol and drug abuse (70 per cent) and the lack of a deterrent (44 per cent).
A further nine per cent even blame modern music for the rising crime.
