The UK is set to enter peak burglary season, as long winter nights allow thieves to operate under the cover of darkness.
New research from home security firm ADT reveals that seven homes are broken into every minute in the UK – equating to 420 households every hour.
More than two thirds of these (69%) occur between the start of November and the end of winter in February, with December the peak time for home theft.
And it could be even higher this year, with ADT alarm data reporting a 10% increase in break-ins, year-on-year, between 2016 and 2017.
Despite these figures, just one in four Britons (23%) has an alarm fitted to warn off potential intruders and only 16% have something as simple as a solid lock on their gate. Alarmingly, one in seven (14%) even admit they have no security measures in place at all.
In response, ADT has partnered with internationally best-selling author Sophie Hannah, best known for her official continuations of Agatha Christie’s Poirot, to publish the first ever ‘edutainment’ crime fiction novella: ‘A Dark Time’. The story features security hints and tips subtly woven into the plot, to raise awareness on how to keep homes protected during the darker nights.
Six in 10 Brits admit to feeling more vulnerable to burglaries when the nights are long (60%), with younger generations (18-24 year olds) perhaps surprisingly feeling more at risk than those aged 55 and over (76% vs 56% respectively).
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