Over 100,000 burglaries a year as autumn raises alarm
10/10/2025
Homeowners are being urged to step up security measures as data reveals more than 100,000 burglaries took place in the past year – with October emerging as the peak month for break-ins.
Figures compiled by home insurance experts at Quotezone.co.uk show the police force areas with the highest rate of residential burglaries between March 2024 and March 2025, weighted per 100,000 residents.
The data, obtained through a Freedom of Information (FOI) request to all English police forces, also reveals which month saw the highest number of home burglaries.
The findings show a spike in burglaries in early autumn, with October emerging as the most common month for offences across the country.
In particular, October proved to be the worst month for burglaries in both South and West Yorkshire, with a combined total of 1,701 offences reported across the two regions in just four weeks.
Seasonal snapshot: Police force areas with the highest number of burglaries in October:
| Police force area | Number of reported burglary offences in October 2024 | Number of reported burglary offences in October 2024 per capita |
| South Yorkshire | 698 | 50 |
| West Yorkshire | 1,003 | 42 |
| West Midlands | 946 | 32 |
| Leicestershire | 347 | 30 |
| Sussex | 305 | 17 |
Experts warn that darker evenings in autumn and winter can make homes more vulnerable to break-ins, and are urging homeowners to take extra precautions now.
When adjusted for population, Humberside emerged as the police force area where homeowners were most likely to be targeted throughout the year, recording 458 burglary offences per 100,000 residents.
South Yorkshire ranked second with 451 reported offences per 100,000 people, followed by West Yorkshire in third place with 442 offences during the 12-month period.
The top ten police force areas for residential burglaries per capita, based on reported offences:
| Police force area | Number of reported burglary offences | Population of police force area* | Number of reported burglary offences per capita |
| Humberside | 4,327 | 943,000 | 458 |
| South Yorkshire | 6,288 | 1,392,100 | 451 |
| West Yorkshire | 10,515 | 2,378,100 | 442 |
| Greater Manchester Police | 11,307 | 2,911,700 | 388 |
| Cleveland | 2,194 | 579,300 | 378 |
| Durham | 2,332 | 637,600 | 365 |
| Leicestershire | 3,882 | 1,136,700 | 341 |
| West Midlands | 9,955 | 2,953,800 | 337 |
| Warwickshire | 1,702 | 607,600 | 280 |
| Northumbria | 3,653 | 1,466,200 | 249 |
The data shows Suffolk as the area with the fewest reported burglaries, recording just 87 offences per 100,000 residents.
Residents in Norfolk and Cumbria also face a lower risk of theft, with each area reporting fewer than 1,000 offences over the year – or under 100 per 100,000 people.
Top Five Tips to Deter Burglars:
1.Remember the basics
Even putting in simple security measures can help prevent a break-in, use padlocks, extra lights and window locks to tighten up home security.
2.Watch out
The majority of break-ins happen during the day so keep an eye for suspicious behaviour and join the local neighbourhood watch scheme.
3.Out of sight
Make sure anything that is or looks expensive is kept fully out of sight from any passers-by, even garden tools as most burglars don’t carry break-in equipment with them.
4.Alarm details must be accurate
If you have a burglar alarm, be careful to update your policy correctly. Some insurance providers will ask if the alarm is also monitored – inaccurate details could void your policy.
5.Always lock up
All exterior doors and windows should be locked every time the house is left unoccupied, as most burglaries are by opportunistic thieves, taking advantage of a vulnerable situation.
As a price comparison site, Quotezone helps millions of people across the UK compare insurers and find savings on their home insurance.
Full Data Results:
| Police force | No. of burglary offences | Population | Per capita |
| Humberside | 4,327 | 943,000 | 458 |
| South Yorkshire | 6,288 | 1,392,100 | 451 |
| West Yorkshire | 10,515 | 2,378,100 | 442 |
| Greater Manchester Police | 11,307 | 2,911,700 | 388 |
| Cleveland | 2,194 | 579,300 | 378 |
| Durham | 2,332 | 637,600 | 365 |
| Leicestershire | 3,882 | 1,136,700 | 341 |
| West Midlands | 9,955 | 2,953,800 | 337 |
| Warwickshire | 1,702 | 607,600 | 280 |
| Northumbria | 3,653 | 1,466,200 | 249 |
| Surrey | 2,817 | 1,214,500 | 231 |
| Avon and Somerset | 4,031 | 1,765,400 | 228 |
| Lincolnshire | 1,768 | 775,500 | 227 |
| Hampshire | 4,354 | 2,018,700 | 215 |
| Nottinghamshire | 2,375 | 1,163,300 | 204 |
| Derbyshire | 2,162 | 1,067,000 | 202 |
| Bedfordshire | 1,412 | 715,900 | 197 |
| Cambridgeshire | 1,762 | 906,800 | 194 |
| Sussex | 3,139 | 1,721,000 | 182 |
| Staffordshire | 2,078 | 1,146,200 | 181 |
| Thames Valley Police | 4,475 | 2,549,700 | 175 |
| Cheshire | 1,938 | 1,108,800 | 174 |
| North Yorkshire | 1,367 | 828,100 | 165 |
| Wiltshire | 1,207 | 751,500 | 160 |
| Dorset | 1,222 | 785,200 | 155 |
| Hertfordshire | 1,856 | 1,204,600 | 154 |
| Gloucestershire | 969 | 652,400 | 148 |
| Kent | 2,603 | 1,875,900 | 138 |
| Merseyside | 1,732 | 1,442,100 | 120 |
| Devon and Cornwall | 2,150 | 1,810,400 | 118 |
| Cumbria | 479 | 503,000 | 95 |
| Norfolk | 874 | 925,300 | 94 |
| Suffolk | 669 | 768,600 | 87 |
Methodology:
Data was sourced via Freedom of Information (FOI) requests sent to police forces across England in September 2025. Out of 39 forces contacted, 33 responded with the requested data.
Some police forces provided separate statistics for burglaries from connected buildings and unconnected buildings. Where specified, only residential burglaries from connected buildings have been included in this dataset.
*Population data for each police force area was taken from the Office of National Statistics: https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/crimeandjustice/datasets/recordedcrimedatabycommunitysafetypartnershiparea
This article is intended as generic information only and is not intended to apply to anybody’s specific circumstances, demands or needs. The views expressed are not intended to provide any financial service or to give any recommendation or advice. Products and services are only mentioned for illustrative rather than promotional purposes.