Top ten burglary hotspots revealed – is your region on the list? How to keep your home safe as thefts rise

THE top 10 burglary hotspots in England and Wales have been revealed – and one major northern region heads the bleak list.

Greater Manchester Police recorded the most raids on homes and businesses between January and December last year.

A total of 7.7 burglaries were committed per 10,000 population – a figure 305 per cent higher than that recorded in Devon and Cornwall.

Cops in the south western region recorded 1.9 such crimes by the same measure.

Residents living in Manchester for uni are among those most likely to be targeted, with more than 1,000 student homes burgled every year.

And a whopping one in three of the region's burglaries are committed when locals leave doors and windows open or unlocked, the city council says.

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In second place is South Yorkshire, with 7.2 burglaries per 10,000 people, while Cleveland, in third place, recorded 7 per 10,000.

Those living in the West Midlands and London are the fourth and fifth most likely to become a victim of a burglar.

Security experts and former criminals have revealed the biggest mistakes victims of crime make.

Former gang enforcer Lennox Rodgers, 58, committed around 20 burglaries and spent 21 years in and out prison before going straight.

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He turned his life around after leaving prison for a final time in 2004 and went on to co-found Refocus Project, which has warned 55,000 young people about the dangers of a life of crime.

Lennox, from Greenhithe, Kent, is now a security expert.

He warned you can’t always trust a person in uniform.

“We used to call police to a block of flats telling them there was a domestic going on and we thought the husband had a knife,” he told The Sun.

“Then while they were heading to the top floor to sort out the fake altercation, our car thieves would break into their vehicles to steal police jackets and other things.

“That way when we broke into a bank or elsewhere the staff would see our uniform and wouldn't pay as much attention because they thought we had a right to be there. 

Burglary stats by region

London – 5.9 offences per 10,000 people

Yorkshire and the Humber – 5.3

North West – 5.6

West Midlands – 4.8

North East – 4.4

East Midlands – 3.7

Wales – 3.2

East – 3.1

South East – 3.1

South West – 2.9

“Using other people’s identity to avoid raising suspicion has been going on for decades – we’ve done it with lots of different uniforms, including overalls.”

Former burglar Luke Harris said he'd break into homes through the roof by lifting away tiles and cutting a hole through the loft.

And burglar turned security expert Michael Fraser warned anyone selling their home not to put a virtual tour of the property online.

“It’s such an easy crime to commit because you can look inside a property online by using the virtual tour," he said.

"It’s basically like online shopping for criminals.

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“You can see the layout of someone’s home, if they have alarms in their rooms and most importantly the types of items they could steal.”

Sun Online has contacted Greater Manchester Police for comment.

Ten ways to foil burglars

Insurance company Home Protect has the following tips:

1. Hide valuables
Make sure that any valuables are not visible from any ground floor windows

2. Security markings
Mark any expensive possessions by writing your postcode on them with a UV pen. This will make it harder for burglars to sell the items and allow police to return them to you

3. Gravel driveway or path
Invest in a gravel top layer on your driveway or path and if possible around the perimeter of the house, especially under accessible windows. Gravel makes a loud crunching noise that is more likely to alert you to an intruder approaching the property

4. Doors and windows
Lock all doors and windows, leave a light on and draw the curtains if you go out after dark. Keep your doors and windows locked from the inside even when you are at home

5. Burglar alarm
If you have a faulty alarm that frequently goes off, get it fixed and tell your neighbours that it's been repaired. 25 per cent of people ignore an alarm that goes off regularly

6. Alarm wiring
For the most effective alarm system, check that the alarm wiring is fully concealed. A burglar could look for places to disconnect the security system

7. Outbuildings
Don't leave spare keys outside or in a garage or shed. Keep garden sheds and garages locked at all times

8. Window lock keys
Don't leave window keys in their locks

9. Messages
Don't leave "I'm out" or "Back in 5 mins" notes for service people or family members on the door

10. Get a safe
Keep your small valuables inside a locked safe. These are relatively inexpensive, especially when you consider the sentimental value of your jewellery or even the photos stored on an external backup drive, and a small safe can easily be tucked under a bed or desk so doesn't need to obtrude into the look of your home

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