Top tips for shed safety from house insurance specialists

UK residents have around £2,000 worth of items stored in their garden sheds, although many don't take safety precautions, warns a house insurance specialist.

Some 20 per cent of shed owners don’t to fit a lock and over 60 per cent say they don’t keep their shed as secure as their garage, according to a study conducted by Cornhill Direct house insurance.

More than a third of respondents said they kept more than one bike in the shed, while the most common items are lawn mowers (75 per cent), followed by garden pots (56 per cent), garden chairs (55 per cent) and bicycles (52 per cent).

Mark Bishop from Cornhill Direct warns that thousands of Brits claim on their house insurance every year for loss of items stored in the shed

People should only keep the bare minimum of items in their sheds as they are so vulnerable to theft, he said.

It’s nice to see that the great British tradition of the garden shed is still going strong but they are very attractive to thieves.

Meanwhile, insurers RIAS recently warned that not all house insurance policies cover losses in sheds and outhouses, so homeowners should ensure their cover is adequate.