Households across the West Country are being given a reminder to take security much more seriously during the holiday season, as thousands are leaving their homes unattended.

A rural insurance firm has highlighted the message this week as part of a public awareness drive which they hope will go some way in reducing the number of burglaries in the region. Latest figures released from the firm who have members throughout the west show a decrease in the number of theft related claims during 2010 with only 44 claims so far this year. The same period last year saw 53 claims. This decrease is mirrored by recent statistics from the ABI (Association of British Insurers) which saw 69,000 domestic theft claims during the first quarter of the year compared to 81,000 claims during the same period last year. The warning comes as many homeowners are very often preoccupied with the thought of their holiday and forget to secure their properties correctly.

Alan Goddard, Managing Director of the insurance firm, said “Whether it’s for a few days or weeks, the same advice always applies. It’s always a good idea to make your home appear occupied whenever you’re going away. It sounds obvious, but always check that all your doors and windows are properly secure. The Home Office suggests the average cost of a burglary is over £1,000. We know that most burglaries take place when properties are empty and homes without security measures are ten times more likely to be burgled than those with simple security measures such as quality door locks. We also know that a third of burglars enter premises through an open door or window.”

The summer months are always a peak time for thefts from gardens that have easy access; this allows opportunist thieves to take full advantage of stealing valuable equipment which is left unattended, sometimes for just a few minutes. There are still many people who fail to take out household insurance and this can be a costly mistake. It does cost a lot of money if anything needs replacing due to theft or accidental damage. Anyone without insurance will have to replace their losses out of their own pocket.