Wrap up and lock up for winter

As British Summer Time draws to a close on October 29th, Halifax Home Insurance has warned that burglaries by forced entry rise by 21 per cent in the winter months.

One forced entry occurs every sixty seconds in the UK over winter, the study claims.

The overall incidence of burglary, meanwhile, increases by eight per cent.

More hours of darkness provide thieves with cover and make it easier to see into lit homes to verify if the owners are in, the study’s authors suggest.

British Crime Survey statistics from 2004-05 show that 57 per cent of all burglaries and 68 per cent of attempted burglaries occur at night.

The report analyses how burglars enter homes, finding forcing a lock accounts for 38 per cent of burglaries, forcing a window 22 per cent, and breaking a window 14 per cent.

Halifax urges homeowners to take additional precautionary measures including double-locks, alarms, sensors and timed lights.

"As the nights get darker and winter approaches, householders should be taking as many precautions as possible to ensure their homes are secure," advised Vicky Emmott, senior underwriter for Halifax Home Insurance.