EDINBURGH has become the housebreaking insurance claim capital of Scotland for the third year running, according to new research.
The top five worst affected areas of Scotland are all within the Capital with Granton topping the list for the second successive year.
The EH5 postcode, which covers Granton, Pilton and Trinity, saw 34.2 burglary claims per 1000 quotes. But the annual MoneySuperMarket analysis of home insurance quotes run on its website over the last two years found Granton has made strides since last year when the claim rate was 40.4 per 1,000 quotes.
Eleven of Scotland's Top 20 burglary claim hotspots were in Edinburgh, with the rest in Glasgow.
The research found that Edinburgh postcodes, closely followed by Glasgow, dominate the list of places in Scotland most likely to have made a claim on their home insurance for theft from their house or garden.
Hot on Granton's heels was was EH4, covering Dean Village and Comely Bank as well as the A90 corridor to Barnton and Cramond, with 28.5 housebreaking claims for every 1000 quotes.
EH15, covering Portobello and Duddingston was in third spot followed by EH9 spanning Marchmont and Grange, Blackford, Minto Street, Causewayside.
City councillor Cammy Day, whose Forth ward includes the Granton area said: "It concerns me that that it remains the highest for house break-ins in the country. I will seek an urgent meeting with Police Scotland to find out what they are doing to reduce this in my ward. I want reassurances that there are interventions being made to change this."
G13 covering Anniesland, Knightswood and Yoker topped the claim list in Glasgow.
MoneySuperMarket, which analysed 1.8 million home insurance quotes, said there were 31 postal districts across Scotland with zero claims, including Laurencekirk (AB30), Orkney (KW17), Fort William (PH33), and Montrose (DD10).
In December police figures hows that there were 1,971 domestic break-ins between April to 30 September, down from 2,322 during the same period last year. But the detection rate also fell, from 32 per cent in 2015/16 to 25 per cent in 2016/17.
Kevin Pratt, consumer affairs expert at MoneySuperMarket, said: “Burglars are interested in two things: where should I go to find stuff worth stealing and where am I least likely to get caught? Our findings suggest busy urban areas are the biggest targets for theft, but those who call leafy suburbia home should also be aware of the risks associated."
Across the UK, the rate of burglary claims has fallen by eight per cent in the last year. Last year, the average rate was 13.58 per 1,000 quotes, dropping to 12.44 per 1,000. In Scotland the rate fell by 13 percent to 7.57 claims per 1000 enquiries.
The MoneySuperMarket say that across the UK, the value of claims submitted in winter are on average 36 percent higher than those submitted in summer, probably because of the presence of high-value Christmas presents in the home.
The value of insurance for laptops, jewellery, watches and bicycles has also grown in the last year, as the UK invest in the latest gadgets.
The average collective value of itemised possessions was £4,192 per policy in autumn 2016, which is over a third more than in 2011.
Councillor Joan Griffiths, Community Safety Leader said: “We will continue to work closely with Police Scotland on all crime issues across the city to ensure that Edinburgh remains a safe place for its residents.”
Chief Superintendent Kenny MacDonald, Divisional Commander for Edinburgh, said: “Tackling housebreaking is one of our top priorities here in Edinburgh and we have dedicated resources who are robustly investigating these crimes and targeting offenders to minimise housebreakings and the subsequent theft of property. "I recognise the adverse impact housebreaking can have on our communities, however, officers within Edinburgh continue to actively address this issue and over the past year have seen an overall 16 % reduction across the city and we continue to focus to improve this.
“We are committed to reducing the number of those in our communities who are impacted by this horrendous crime and we are relentless in our pursuit of acquisitive crime offenders.
“The public have a crucial role to play in helping us prevent break-ins by taking appropriate security measures around their homes, outbuildings and business premises and by reporting any suspicious activity they witness around the properties of their families, friends and neighbours.”
Lynn Farrar, chair of Neighbourhood and Home Watch Network, said most burglaries were opportunistic and can be prevented using security measures.
She recommended householders ensure they have window locks, that interior lights are left on a timer when people are away, double or dead bolts are fitted on doors and exterior lights with a sensor are fitted outside “Taking these basic steps can offer 49 times more protection against burglary than homes without these measures," she said.
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