Home insurance providers point out safety gaps

Britons claim they are very conscious of home safety but their actions contradict their claims.

Research by Privilege Home Insurance found that home safety is important to 75 per cent of people. However, 76 per cent of them do not have a burglar alarm, or have one but forget to switch it on.

Nearly half leave all the lights in their house off when they are away, and 59 per cent fail to ask tradesmen for identification before letting them into their homes.

Britons displaying this risky behaviour also does not seem to take enough care in taking out a home insurance policy. The survey found that one in five households do not have home insurance.

The gap between people's perceptions about safety consciousness and the reality is considerable, says Ian Parker, managing director of Privilege Home Insurance.

Research by home insurance provider Churchill also found that British homes are the biggest targets of thieves on Wednesday nights.

These robberies cost British households an estimated £127 million a year. Weekend nights are the other popular times for burglars to loot.

Martin Scott, head of home insurance at Churchill said the findings show that burglars will target homes on week nights as well as weekends.

He pointed out that homes need to be secure at all times, whether people are at home or not.