With the highest number of burglaries often taking place between the months of November and January, it is an unfortunate reality that winter is a prime time for break-ins. Therefore it is essential that we take care to protect our homes against unwanted intrusion; taking every precaution in the battle against the burglar.
With that in mind we recently contacted all UK police constabularies to find out exactly which areas of a property are most vulnerable to attack, and therefore require a little extra attention to ensure your home is safe this winter. The results of what we found are displayed below:
Summary
- The peak time for burglaries falls between November and January, engulfing the Christmas period. This makes it essential that we are vigilant throughout the winter months when it comes to our property’s security, ensuring that the protective measures in place are up to standard and implemented in all the areas necessary.
- As many of us would perhaps expect, when it comes to the two most common points of entry, 56% of burglars choose to enter through the door, whilst 30% opt for the window; making them by far the most favoured areas of the property. This not only confirms what many of us may have already thought to be true, but also emphasises the importance of securing these features of our homes with the level of security needed.
- Interestingly, it’s not only the larger points of entry to your home that can aid an intruder; with 1% of break-ins attributed to the use of a cat flap last year, entry can be gained through even the most unsuspecting features of your home.
- Garage doors also proved to be an area of the home that should be considered when protecting it from intrusion; whilst it may only have been utilised by 1% of burglars, ensuring that your chosen door is secure is essential.
- When it comes to the top 5 entry points likely to be breached, forced doors (58%), frames (28%) and locks (12%) take the lead, whilst locks being hooked and picked also pose a substantial risk, making your choice of lock on both your windows and doors, a hugely important one.
- Finally, when it comes to the worst affected areas for burglaries during 2013; Greater Manchester reported the highest figure, with a staggering 15,464 burglaries having taken place last year. Second to that came the West Midlands with over 12,800 having been reported. In comparison to this, Cumbria proved to be the safest location in the UK, with only 602 break ins.
If you would like to find out more about how you can protect your home this winter, please visit the Crime Prevention section of our website where you can find a variety of expert tips and advice, as well as suggestions on the top security products to implement on your property.