£2.4bn of presents to be hidden in cars this year
by Richard Kilner
Story link: £2.4bn of presents to be hidden in cars this year
New research from Allianz Your Cover has found that Britons will hide Christmas presents worth a total of £2.4bn in their cars this year. The survey of 2,000 people found that 30% hid their presents in the car, and 28% left them on display and unsecured in the vehicle, heightening the risk of theft. Toys [...]
Mobile phone theft up 25% in three years
by Gill Montia
Story link: Mobile phone theft up 25% in three years
Mobile phone theft has increased 25% in the past three years, with an average 264 mobile phone robberies currently reported to the Police each day. According to official data obtained by LV=, over half of mobile phone thieves are in their teens but some are as young as nine years old, and only 1% of [...]
Music festival thefts drop but values rise
by Gill Montia
Story link: Music festival thefts drop but values rise
Crime figures obtained by Aviva show that possessions worth £225,000 were stolen at last year’s summer music festivals. In 2011, there were 1,101 reported incidents of thefts at eleven of the top UK festivals and according to police records, the average value per theft stood at £354. Research by the insurer also reveals that 12% [...]
ABI offers advice to survive the theftive season
by Richard Kilner
Story link: ABI offers advice to survive the theftive season
The Association of British Insurers (ABI) has dubbed the theft prone festive season the ‘theftive season’, as criminals target easy pickings during Christmas and the New Year. More than 10,000 burglary claims were handled by insurers over last Christmas with payouts totalling £15m. Many such cases involved the homeowners being away, on holiday or visiting [...]
Bluefin warns of rising farm thefts
by Richard Kilner
Story link: Bluefin warns of rising farm thefts
An increase in criminal activity on farms has led farmers to take extreme measures to protect themselves, according to Bluefin Insurance Services. Last year the farming sector lost £47.9m to theft, up from £41m in the previous year. Farms contain many expensive goods that attract the attention of thieves, with tools, tractors, heating oil and [...]
Cotswold churches vulnerable to stone tile theft
by Richard Kilner
Story link: Cotswold churches vulnerable to stone tile theft
Specialist church insurer Ecclesiastical has commissioned new research which reveals that churches in Gloucestershire, Wiltshire and Bristol are at particular risk of having not only the metals but the stone tiles stolen from their roofs. Half of all claims for stolen stone tiles came from churches in the region, where traditional Cotswold tiles cost £2,000 [...]
Festival goers need more than a tent for cover
by Gill Montia
Story link: Festival goers need more than a tent for cover
Aviva is reminding music festival fans that a tent in not the only cover they require. Nearly half of all Britons have attended the summer festivals at some time or other, and of these 14% have lost belongings or had them stolen, according to the insurer’s research. With many festival-goers taking expensive personal items such [...]
Baby buggie price inflation sparks crime wave
by Gill Montia
Story link: Baby buggie price inflation sparks crime wave
The vogue for increasingly expensive baby buggies has sparked a new crime wave, according to Halifax Home Insurance. Thefts of baby strollers have almost doubled in the past year, which the lender claims is fuelling a black market worth around £60 million Sales of buggies costing over £500 having increased by 40% over the past [...]
Protect your bubble launches iPhone insurance
by Gill Montia
Story link: Protect your bubble launches iPhone insurance
Protect your bubble, which is an Assurant Direct brand, has launched a new iPhone policy and is claiming that the product costs less than half the price of iPhone insurance currently offered by some networks. At £5.99 a month, the policy includes worldwide cover for accidental damage (including water damage) and theft, plus mechanical breakdown [...]
Ecclesiastical reports increasing metal theft
by Richard Kilner
Story link: Ecclesiastical reports increasing metal theft
Niche and faith insurance specialist Ecclesiastical has forecast that 2010 will prove to be the second worst year on record for metal theft. In the first five months of the year the firm received 722 claims for metal theft, worth a total of £1.6m. The worst year on record was 2008, which saw 1,382 claims [...]
AA Insurance warns against dangers of car theft
by Richard Kilner
Story link: AA Insurance warns against dangers of car theft
AA Insurance has reported that every single day at least 53 householders in England and Wales discover that their car has been stolen, following the theft of their cars from their home. In 2008/2009 19,400 cars were stolen by this method, according to a parliamentary answer by Home Secretary Alan Johnson, a rise of almost [...]
No theft cover for defrosting cars
by Gill Montia
Story link: No theft cover for defrosting cars
With night time temperatures well below zero, the Financial Ombudsman Service (FOS) is reminding motorist that most motor insurance policies include a clause that excludes cover for theft, attempted theft or malicious damage, if the ignition keys are left “in or on the vehicle”. According to the watchdog, drivers who start their engines for a [...]
Drivers beware 19th December
by Gill Montia
Story link: Drivers beware 19th December
The 19th December will be a good day to leave the car behind and take the bus, Virgin Money Car Insurance is predicting. As the pressures of the festive season mount, the last Saturday before Christmas becomes the most dangerous day of the month for drivers, with claims up around 40% on the average. The [...]
Saga advises boat owners to lock up
by David Masters
Story link: Saga advises boat owners to lock up
Saga Boat Insurance has advised boat owners to lock away valuables out of sight. Wet weather gear, GPS navigation equipment and valuable personal items should all be securely stored, or removed from vessels that will be unused for a period of time, Saga said. Curtains should be closed when the boat is moored, and life-rafts, [...]
Aviva insures home office equipment
by David Masters
Story link: Aviva insures home office equipment
With more than a million people working from home on a regular basis, Aviva has updated its home insurance policy to cover business equipment as standard. The updated policy covers loss or damage to office furniture and equipment that is used for business purposes, such as computers, printers, filing cabinets, office chairs, photocopiers, and answer [...]
Homeowners advised to keep gardens covered
by Richard Kilner
Story link: Homeowners advised to keep gardens covered
Homeowners have been advised to make sure their garden contents are covered by their home insurance policy by moneysupermarket.com’s Steve Sweeney. The average value of garden items is £700, and many gardens’ contents are worth over £1,000 with sun loungers, trees, smaller plants and barbecues. However there is a significant shortfall between the average value [...]
Rustlers target British livestock
by David Masters
Story link: Rustlers target British livestock
Livestock farms are being targeted by professional thieves, as high meat prices coupled with the recession make animal rustling an attractive option. Recent thefts include 2,000 game birds and 500 piglets, the Times reports. Sheep have vanished from Wales, Yorkshire, and the West Country. Nine rare breed cattle were stolen from a farm in Lincolnshire. [...]
Insurers face £55m annual bill for handbag theft
by David Masters
Story link: Insurers face £55m annual bill for handbag theft
One in five women have been the victim of handbag theft, and the crime now costs UK insurers £55 million per year. Research by Direct Line home insurance found that the cost of replacing items in a handbag now averages over £100, including make-up, cash, keys, mobile phone, and medication. In addition, handbags themselves are [...]
Garden thefts up 63%
by Gill Montia
Story link: Garden thefts up 63%
Halifax Home Insurance is warning households that thefts from gardens are likely to jump again this year. According to the insurer, summer 2008 saw a 63% rise in the number of claims made for items stolen from gardens, compared to a year earlier. London saw the greatest influx of such claims but garden thieves were [...]
Theft claims to increase 100%
by David Masters
Story link: Theft claims to increase 100%
Claims for theft will double in 2009, Hiscox has warned. The Bermuda-based insurer said economic gloom will push up theft claims 100%, following a warning from the Home Secretary that burglaries are on the rise. Individuals have more to lose compared to previous recessions because the recent boom was so prosperous, the company said. Consumer [...]
