Criminals Switch From Burglary To Street Crime

The nature of crime is changing, a leading home insurer has claimed.

More Than insurance reports that people are more likely to make an insurance claim for stolen gadgetry than larger household items, as street muggings replace burglaries.

The comment follows yesterday's publication of Home Office figures, which reveal that there were nearly 100,000 incidents of street crime last year, coupled with a fall in burglary.

Rising street crime has been attributed to an increase in the number of people carrying small but expensive gadgets, such as iPods and mobile phones.

Craig Allen, head of home insurance at More Than, explained that improved household security and the falling value of consumer goods such as videos and DVD players had also made house burglaries less attractive to the opportunistic thief.

He observed: "We are seeing a general increase in people carrying valuable items around with them during the day, which is making it easier for thieves to steal small, but high value items, such as handheld computers and mobile phones.

"The best advice is to take sensible preventative measures. We urge people not to advertise valuable items when out on the streets and to make sure all items are insured," Mr Allen recommended.

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