Industry officials have been warning that in the current financial climate, with the credit crunch and the recession still affecting the economy, the level of domestic burglaries has been rising and in order to try and avoid becoming the victim of burglaries consumers need to ensure that they step up protection for their homes in terms of both security and insurance cover.

The first rise in domestic burglaries in six years was seen in the year to March, with an increase of 1 percent compared to the previous year according to recently released figures, with nearly a quarter of a million domestic burglaries during that period.

The first three months of this year saw insurance firms hand out over £100 million to settle claims for theft, making it the most expensive quarter for burglary claims in the past five years, and reflecting the extent of the problem in the current climate.

One insurance expert said that households needed to put off potential burglars by ensuring that their properties were as secure as possible, as this could help to deter an opportunistic burglar.

He said: ‘Now is the time to do a review of home security and make sure things are as good as they can be. It may seem selfish, but if you make it difficult for burglars they will simply go elsewhere.’

Another said that it was important to ensure that valuable items were not left on display as this made it easier for burglars that did manage to get in. He said: ‘If customers are aware of the dangers, they remove the easy pickings for the opportunistic burglar.’

Insurance experts have put together a range of useful tips to help those that want to make their homes more secure and protect themselves against becoming victims of this sort of crime, and some of these tips are outlined below.

Fitting locks on doors and windows: Consumers should ensure that they have good quality locks on the doors and windows of their homes, and that they use the locks as they are there for a reason! There are many different high security locks available these days, all designed to make life more difficult for burglars. An insurance expert said: ‘Good security is about adopting the right lifestyle too. Get into the habit of checking all doors and windows before you leave the house or go to bed.’

Don’t forget about the outside areas: It is important to ensure that outside areas such as garages and sheds are also secured, as thieves have no qualms about breaking into these areas to take whatever they can get their hands on. This could help to save damage or theft of tools and even your car.

Don’t make it obvious when you are out: If you are out of the house you don’t want to make it obvious to thieves, so make sure you make it look as though there is someone in the home. This means cancelling papers and milk, which can be obvious signs that someone is away, and perhaps asking a friend or neighbour to come and open and close curtains and switch lights on and off.

Also, avoid using social networking sites and blog sites to tell the whole world that you are heading off on your holidays, as it is not only your friends that will see this information!

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