A new league table has revealed the areas where homeowners are most at risk of burglary - and Gloucestershire is near the top. 

Research by home insurance comparison experts Quotezone.co.uk has revealed the areas where homeowners most need extra security measures, through analysing the latest residential burglary data from each region’s police force.

Gloucestershire has been named as one of the top ten areas at risk of burglary, with 2,094 residential burglaries recorded in 2022.  

With 275,200 households in Gloucestershire at the last count, this means that there were an average of 7.6 residential burglaries per 1000 households. 

There are an average of 523 homes targeted by thieves daily in England and Wales, with a total of 191,094 residential burglaries in the year ending December 2022. 

Helen Rolph, home insurance comparison expert at Quotezone.co.uk, said: “With police reports showing just how prevalent theft is in England and Wales, homeowners should take all appropriate steps to protect their home.  

“With the cost-of-living crisis affecting everyone financially, we’ve noticed a surge in homeowners using home insurance cover without the additional contents protection. 

“This means when burglaries happen, people will be covered for damage to the property but not the items that are stolen.

“Our comparison site can help people compare products and see exactly what’s included per policy – many providers offer contents cover at a competitive price and it can be easily added on.

“When looking to buy a new property, be sure to review the crime rate in that area, obviously people want to ensure they live in as safe an area as possible but just be aware that crime rate can also affect your insurance premiums, such as home and car insurance – those living in areas with a higher crime rate may be paying more.”