Revealed: The London postcodes where homes are most at risk of burglary

Martin Coulter10 April 2018
WEST END FINAL

Get our award-winning daily news email featuring exclusive stories, opinion and expert analysis

I would like to be emailed about offers, event and updates from Evening Standard. Read our privacy notice.

Affluent Richmond, in south west London, is the most targeted area for burglaries in the capital, new figures show.

Based on the analysis of more than two million insurance claims made between January 2016 and December 2017, the survey identified the safest and most at risk areas of the UK.

Guildford, in Surrey, topped the list nationally with 52 in every thousands homeowners forced to make claims after a burglary, the poll by MoneySuperMarket showed.

Mortlake, in Richmond upon Thames, was the biggest target for criminals in the capital, with 45.7 claims for every 1,000 residences.

East Finchley, in Barnet, north London, came in second place, where just under 40 in every 1,000 households have claimed after a theft.

Herne Hill, in south London, which overlaps the boroughs of Lambeth and Southwark, came third with 37 per every 1,000 homes.

Palmers Green, in Enfield, and Mill Hill, also in Barnet, rounded up the top five, with 36 and 34 burglaries per 1,000 respectively.

Nationally, areas of the capital saw a drop in figures compared to last year's data which saw Redbridge, in north east London, top the list.

London's top 5 most targeted areas

1. Mortlake, Richmond 

2. East Finchley, Barnet

3. Herne Hill, Lambeth and Southwark 

4. Palmers Green, Enfield

5. Mill Hill, Barnet

Cambridge, Manchester, Leeds and Birmingham joined Guildford in the UK's top five most targeted areas, the statistics showed.

Kevin Pratt, consumer affairs expert at MoneySuperMarket, said: “This year’s claims analysis suggests burglaries fall into two main categories: crimes committed in wealthy suburbs, where thieves expect rich pickings and a degree of seclusion, and busy urban areas, where strangers attract little attention and burglars hope to make speedy getaways.

“For these reasons households should do what they can to boost security and prevent burglary happening.

"Insurance companies will lower their premiums for people who have robust locks on doors and windows, fit and maintain burglar alarms, use a safe for valuables and join a neighbourhood watch.

"Shopping around every renewal will also help keep insurance premiums as low as possible.”

However, Richmond Council said the claims didn’t reflect the safety of the borough.

A spokeswoman said that from January 2012 and December 2017 there were 10,369 reports of burglary across the borough in residential and business properties.

She added that during the same period Barnet had 23,556 reports, Croydon 19,377 and Lambeth had 19,127

She said: “In reality Richmond upon Thames does not have a high home burglary rate in comparison with other London boroughs or indeed the rest of the country.

“Richmond upon Thames aspires to be the safest borough in London. And any reports of burglary are unacceptable.

“The Richmond Community Safety Partnership - which includes the local Police and Council - has just agreed a new strategy to tackle all aspects of crime, with new programmes and activities launched to encourage residents to be safe in all aspects of their lives.

"There are simple steps that all householders can take to reduce burglary, including locking doors and windows, using timer switches and keeping keys away from doors and windows.”

Find out how your area stacks up using Money Supermarket's online tool here

Create a FREE account to continue reading

eros

Registration is a free and easy way to support our journalism.

Join our community where you can: comment on stories; sign up to newsletters; enter competitions and access content on our app.

Your email address

Must be at least 6 characters, include an upper and lower case character and a number

You must be at least 18 years old to create an account

* Required fields

Already have an account? SIGN IN

By clicking Create Account you confirm that your data has been entered correctly and you have read and agree to our Terms of use , Cookie policy and Privacy policy .

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged in

MORE ABOUT