November nights are the burglar’s best friend – take steps now to protect your valuables
Many people get miserable when the clocks go back. But for one group, the hour change is bonanza time. Britain’s burglars love darker evenings – it can mean getting into your property, stealing your valuables and disappearing before you get home.
According to Churchill Home Insurance, November is the worst month for burglaries. There’s a claim – on average – every four minutes. That adds up to nearly 10,000 during the month.
And that’s not counting break-ins not reported to insurers. Some homes do not have cover. But many victims don’t think a claim is worthwhile – it could be below the value of their excess (that’s the first slice of the claim the policyholder pays) or they don’t want to affect their no claims record.
From late October to late November the night starts almost two hours earlier leading to this month seeing break-ins up by 18% over the average for the year.
Thieves are also aware the next weeks are the most important in the year for acquiring new items. Combining Black Friday, Cyber Monday and the festive season means lots of homes have lots of unopened parcels and packets. It’s easier and more lucrative for burglars to sell an untouched computer in its original box than a used machine.
According to Churchill’s figures, Northern Ireland and London see the biggest increase in burglaries during November rising some 30% while the North East actually sees a nine per cent fall – no one seems able to explain this fall off. The only good news is burglaries fall in December. Thieves take a break like the honest rest of us, and as they’ve done so many extra in November, there’s less left to nick in the last month of the year. Churchill’s head of home insurance Martin Scott says: “This analysis highlights the importance of being extra vigilant as we approach the winter months, with burglars preferring to operate under the cover of darkness. As the nights draw in, it’s important to take extra security precautions to make life as hard as possible for intruders.”
But oddly enough, where there is no street lighting or it’s turned off, burglars stay away. They need some light to steal by and generally won’t risk becoming visible by using torches on really dark roads.