Revealed: Edinburgh suburbs named in list of UK's housebreaking hotspots

PLUSH Capital suburbs have been named in a list of the UK's housebreaking hotspots.
Plush Capital suburbs have been named in a list of the UK's housebreaking hotspots. Picture: John DevlinPlush Capital suburbs have been named in a list of the UK's housebreaking hotspots. Picture: John Devlin
Plush Capital suburbs have been named in a list of the UK's housebreaking hotspots. Picture: John Devlin

The EH4 postcode, which comprises Stockbridge, Cramond and Barnton, is fourth on the list and EH15, including Portobello and Duddingston is ninth.

Edinburgh’s top cop said housebreakings are down more than a fifth across the Capital while campaigners called for more money for police.

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Lothian Labour MSP Kezia Dugdale said: “Housebreaking is a persistent concern for many people living in Edinburgh and this research reveals that alarmingly the city remains a hot spot for burglary.

Stokbridge is part of the EH4 postcode. Pic: ShutterstockStokbridge is part of the EH4 postcode. Pic: Shutterstock
Stokbridge is part of the EH4 postcode. Pic: Shutterstock

“Scotland remains amongst one of the least burgled areas in the UK, unless you live in Edinburgh, which confirms that there is a particular problem in the city that remains unchallenged.

“Our dedicated and hardworking frontline Police Scotland officers work tirelessly to keep Edinburgh safe, and the responsibility lies with the SNP Scottish Government to invest properly in our police services to ensure that local forces are properly funded and resourced.”

Edinburgh Divisional Commander, Chief Superintendent Gareth Blair, pointed to a 21 percent drop in domestic housebreakings between April and September 2018 compared to the same period in 2017.

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“Housebreaking has been a priority for police in Edinburgh for a number of years,” added Mr Blair. “It is a very personal crime being targeted in the place where you should feel safest, and we have worked extremely hard to tackle this.

“Edinburgh Division has a team dedicated to tackling housebreaking and they are supported by our Prevention Intervention and Partnership Unit who undertake crime prevention surveys and provide security advice.

“We continue our efforts to disrupt those responsible and put them before the courts, as well as ensuring occupants can take simple steps to keep their property safe.”

Price comparison site MoneySuperMarket analysed more than 2.5 million home insurance quotes from the last two years for the highest and lowest rate of claims for home contents theft.

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The data revealed a 16 percent UK-wide increase in rates of theft, with an average of 15.57 claims per 1,000 quotes in 2018, up from 13.42 in 2017.

Consumer research reveals that one in five Brits (20%) believe they live in an area where properties are broken into more than the national average.

Yet almost half (44%) have taken no precautionary measures to protect their home, including installing burglar alarms, window locks or security cameras.

The EH4 postcode was fourth on the list with 46.43 claims per 1,000 quotes and EH15 ninth with 43.99 per 1,000.

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Emma Garland, data scientist at MoneySuperMarket, said: “Over the past 12 months, burglars have mostly been targeting suburbs and urban areas, with the safest areas dominated by smaller towns and villages.”

“Anyone that has ever been burgled will tell you that the cost goes beyond the value of the items stolen, from the psychological impact of your home being violated to the difficulty of replacing things with sentimental value. That’s why it’s surprising to see that almost half of people haven’t put any additional protection in place for their home.”