Legal News

The postcode RM8 – Dagenham and Becontree – is the UK’s burglary hotspot, according to a survey by MoneySuperMarket.

Researchers studied 20 postcodes to assess burglary hotspots according to the number of insurance claims made – and discovered that 14 of them were in London.

As well as Dagenham and Becontree, others in the top four postcodes for burglaries were M21 in Manchester (Chorlton-cum-Hardy and Barlow Moor) and DN2 in South Yorkshire (Doncaster).

East London has the highest burglary insurance claim rate in the country, however, say the researchers

In second place was the IG2 postcode in north London – including the areas of Gants Hill, Newbury Park and Alborough Hatch.

Among the safest places in the UK are Bognor Regis in West Sussex (postcode PO22) – and Londonderry in Northern Ireland (postcode BT48), the researchers found.

Chief executive of the charity Victim Support, Mark Castle, told the Daily Mail:

“As a charity that supports thousands of burglary victims each year, we know how devastating an impact this crime can have and we are here to help.

“Victims tell us that they suffer far more than material loss when their home is burgled – the psychological impact of this crime can be drastic, long-lasting and different for everyone.”

Kevin Pratt from MoneySuperMarket.com said:

“Our annual Burglary Claims Tracker reveals the nation's burglary claim hotspots, and once again London and Greater London postcodes dominate.

”The research reveals Dagenham is the UK's top burglary hotspot – with a rate of 55 out of every 1,000 insurance quotes having made a claim in the past two years.

“Burglars often target urban areas where there's more hustle and bustle and so less risk of being caught.

“But not surprisingly they also follow the money – which is why affluent areas such as Teddington and Temple Newsam in West Yorkshire appearing in the top 20 claims hotspots.”

Dagenham overall has a crime rate which is 17% higher than the national average, including violent crime, vehicle crime, robbery, anti-social behaviour and burglary.

In Dagenham, there are 2.91 crimes recorded per 1,000 population – compared with the national average of 2,48 crimes per 1,000 population.

The UK postcodes where residents are least likely to have to make an insurance claim for burglary are DD2 (Dundee in Scotland) and DG1 (Dumfries in Scotland), as well as G83 (Bute in Scotland), IP11 (Felixstowe in Suffolk) and LL57 (Gwynedd, Wales) – all of which tied for first place, with the least number of annual insurance claims for burglary.

Duncan Lewis Criminal Lawyers

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For expert legal advice on all criminal charges, call Duncan Lewis criminal lawyers on 020 7923 4020.

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