Burglary rates may be on the decline – and generally have been since rates began being recorded – with the Office of National Statistics reporting a 4% fall in both residential and non-residential burglaries in the year ending September 2024, but with the overall figure still standing at 260,728 offences per year, it's small comfort. Click or scroll on as we highlight the UK's burglary hotspots, plus some of our safest places and the steps you can take to deter intruders.

While many of us may have horrifying visions of masked intruders breaking windows in the middle of the night to gain access, the truth is, in most cases, burglars are simply chancers.

Many burglars gain access simply by turning the handle of a front or back door to find it open or applying weight to a weak door, according to Associated Security. Other common entry points include windows (especially those partially open), side entrances and garages.

Here, using new data from ADT, we walk you through the five most burgled postcodes in England and Wales and the five least burgled postcodes. Starting with the bad news, we bring you Sunderland, whose SR1 1 postcode takes the fifth spot on our most burgled list, with around 85 burglaries per 1,000 people. 

ADT got its figures from the Crime in My Area tool for the period August 2023 to July 2024 and only included postcodes with at least 1,000 residents. This part of Sunderland is in the city centre and as there is a large number of shops and other businesses that could account for the high number of reported burglaries, though as you will find out shortly, Sunderland's burglary problems are not confined to this area.

In fourth place in our list of burglary postcode hotspots is ST4 1 in Stoke on Trent – the home of the Potteries. Despite the town being a big draw for visitors and a deep-rooted history in creating the UK's best ceramics, according to the data from ADT as many as 9% of its residents in this postcode experienced a burglary between August 2023 and July 2024.​

The area affected in Stoke on Trent is again quite central and covers the roads in and around King's Hall and Glebe Street. Stoke-on-Trent is an interesting place in terms of the statistics as it's not all negative as you'll read more about later...

Though it is located close to the picturesque Cotswolds and boasts a beautiful cathedral, the city of Gloucester is not immune to burglaries. It's in its GL1 1 postcode where the issue is most pronounced, which covers areas such as Linden Wotton, Barton, and St Paul's.

The GL1 1 postcode covers some of the city's more central areas, including Gloucester Park. This postcode has a population of 1,986 and unfortunately it's not just burglaries that are prevalent here. The overall crime rate is 2,735 per 1,000 people with the vast majority (83%) attributed to anti-social behaviour.

In the second spot in our list, Sunderland has the dubious honour of appearing twice in our list of most burgled postcodes, this time for its SR1 3 postcode. This covers the city's Waterloo Place, right next to the city's main train station. It is possible the figures are skewed a bit by the high number of nearby businesses whose reported burglaries would also fall under these stats.

Not only does this postcode have a high rate of burglaries but it is actually the postcode with the highest crime rate in the UK. In this area the crime rate is as high as 3,372 per 1,000 people with violent and sexual offences, as well as shoplifting, pushing the statistics up.

The top spot in our list that no postcode wants to win is LU1 2 in Luton. Covering the wards of Aley Green, Caddington, Lower Woodside, Pepperstock, Skim Pot, Slip End and Woodside, with over 100 burglaries per person, ADT says this equates to around 11% of locals who have been the victims of burglary.

And it's not just the rates of burglaries that are high here – in this postcode crime rates are generally high. With a high density population, perhaps that's not too surprising, but the level of this crime is: ADT says there are 3,156 crimes per 1,000 people and a large percentage of these crimes are of a violent nature. On that depressing note, let's explore the UK's safest places.

And now for the good news, each of these five postcodes in our top five of the safest places to live have reported zero burglaries per 1,000 people. And they’re not the only ones – 15 UK postcodes can make this claim. As well as the town of Wigton, which lies on the edge of the Lake District, other northern towns fare well in the list, with Derby and Carlisle featuring, while Liverpool reports six postcodes with no burglaries per 1,000 people throughout the period.

It's nice to hear that this Cumbrian town is a safe place to live, even though at 1,133 people per square kilometres, its population density is quite high. Nevertheless, it is a scenic area, close to the Lakes and landmarks like Hadrian's Wall, plus the average house price is just £130,000. Nature spots, affordable homes and beautiful walks on the doorstep, no wonder people have few things to grumble about.

Those living in Sheffield, South Yorkshire, must be feeling rather smug right now, as not only do they live in an exciting, cultural city, famous for its music and its great theatre, but they also have one of the lowest burglary rates in the UK.

However, while the city certainly has its attractions, the specific postcode that reports the low crime rates is more rural and covers areas like Dronfield (pictured), Holmesfield, and Unstone in northeast Derbyshire on the edge of the Peak District. With views like these and low crime rates, it's certainly worth considering a move here.

Another postcode that reports no burglaries per 1,000 people for the period is TQ7 4 in Torquay. It's a beautiful part of England that covers areas such as Woodleigh, Hazelwood, Kingston and Bigbury-on-Sea (pictured).

And, as well as low burglary rates, this part of Torquay also has the third lowest crime rate in the UK with just 73.2 crimes reported per 1,000 people across its population of 177,778 each year. Safe, scenic and with endless beaches to enjoy, when are we moving exactly?

Fans of the Potteries can rejoice, for if you're considering a move here you can be reassured that one of the city's postcodes – ST7 2 – has reported no burglaries per 1,000 people. This postcode covers places such as Standon, Doley, Adbaston and Bentilee, which are within easy reach of Longton, home to many of the city's potteries and the Gladstone Pottery Museum.

The wider ST7 postcode covers places like Newcastle-under-Lyme, Cheshire East, and the Staffordshire Moorlands, as well as places like Mop Cop, offering a mix of urban and rural areas for anyone choosing to move into the area. Again, these attributes combine with lower than average property prices of around £191,000, which only increases the area's appeal.

The cathedral city of Exeter, in Devon, takes the top spot in our list of the UK's least burgled postcodes (though really it shares the spot with the other 14 places to report 0 burglaries). The specific postcode in Exeter which comes out on top covers areas near the university campus, including Pennysylvania, Stoke Hill, and Exwick, so parents packing their children off to study here can breathe a sigh of relief.

And, it's not just burglaries you can feel relieved about as Exeter has the second-lowest crime rate in the whole of the UK with jut 70.5 crimes reported per 1,000 people. It's also a city with gorgeous architecture and lots of history and heritage, but all this does add up to slightly higher than average property prices of £306,500.

With most burglars entering a home by chance – testing doors to see which ones open – it makes sense that the things they tend to take are those that are easy to grab. Wallets and purses – often found by front doors or easily spotted on tables or in handbags – are therefore the most common items that are stolen according to ADT, which says they account for 40% of the items stolen and were taken in two out of every five burglaries in England and Wales. Other popular items include jewellery and watches and computers, so try and keep them out of sight where possible.

So what are the best ways to make your property less appealing to thieves? Installing a home security system will allow you to monitor your home 24 hours a day and some even call the police when the intruder alarm is triggered. Locking your doors and windows, especially when you're out, is an obvious one but easy to forget. While placing keys out of sight will ensure you don’t become a victim of key fishing, where criminals steal your keys through your letterbox. Leaving a few lights on when you're out also gives the impression you're at home, while storing high-value items in a safe will keep them secure.

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