Summertime brings garden danger
March 21, 2007 by admin
Filed under News, News-Insurance
We are being warned to be extra vigilant this summer as thieves look to strike in our gardens.
Halifax Home Insurance says that incidents of garden theft increase dramatically between March and August every year as people begin spending more time outside.
With the clocks set to go forward on Sunday (March 25th), Britain is officially entering summertime and that inevitably means we will begin taking out our patio furniture.
The warning from the insurance firm however, is that we must all take precautions to keep out garden furniture safe and should be covered against theft.
“Homeowners can forget to pay as much attention to security outside the house as they do inside,” said Vicky Emmott, senior manager of underwriting at Halifax Home Insurance.
“With many people realising how much value they can add to their property by improving their gardens, there are now rich pickings for thieves, and now is the time to take steps to avoid becoming the next.”
According to the insurer, the average claim for garden theft is around £400, while those living in Stoke-on-Trent are the most at risk.
Doncaster and Southampton follow closely behind, with Halifax revealing that tools, barbecues, garden furniture and bikes are the most popular items to be taken.
Homeowners are advised to lock all valuable garden items away when they are not in use, while gates should remain locked when you are not sitting in the garden.
