Wednesday Nights Cost Brits £127m

Brits are more likely to be burgled on a Wednesday than any other night of the week, says new research*, and it could cost us a cool £127** million.

The research, by Churchill Home Insurance, provides an insight into when burglars are most likely to strike and shows that homes are as vulnerable on week days as weekends, when people are out and about more. And while many people go out to indulge hobbies like sports and bingo or watch the football on Wednesday nights, the success of prime-time TV shows such as Supernanny, Lost and recently Desperate Housewives shows that for others, Wednesday night is stay-at-home night.

Friday and Saturday nights come second in the crime prime time stakes, with criminals making the most of nights when properties are most likely to be unoccupied, while another week night, Thursday night, tops the list for London and the South-East. Based on the research, Churchill Home Insurance has compiled a table which shows at which times of the week areas around Britain are most likely to be targeted by burglars:

Worst Times for Burglaries

 

Vulnerable Times of the Week	Where
1. Wednesday night	Wales, East Anglia, North-West, Scotland
2. Friday night	Yorkshire & Humber, East Midlands
3. Saturday night	South-West, West Midlands
4. Thursday night	London, South-East
5. Saturday afternoon	North-East

 

Martin Scott, Head of Home Insurance, says: “Our findings show that burglars will target homes on week nights as well as weekends and that homes need to be secure at all times, whether people are at home or not.”

So however captivating the Bingo session, midweek football or Lost are, home-owners should take the following simple precautions to deter criminals from entering their homes at all times:

• Lock front and back doors even when the property is occupied
• Make sure the windows are securely locked in rooms that are not in use
• Check all doors and windows are securely closed and locked when leaving the home and before going to bed

Scott concluded: “Burglaries can obviously occur at any time but a few simple precautions can make a real difference. Home owners should always be mindful of the risk of burglary and secure windows and doors when going out, even if it is only to visit a neighbour for a few minutes.”

 

* Research commissioned by Churchill Insurance with 1,387 adults, August 2005

**Based on percentage of people burgled on a Wednesday night in each relevant region and the average cost (£995) of a home theft claim in 2004

 

For more information please contact:

Emilie Lien                                           

Churchill Insurance                                

020 8285 3276                          

pressoffice@churchil.com