Officials from the insurance industry have recently spoken out about the rise in the level of domestic burglaries during the recession.

In the first three months of this year insurance companies paid out more than £100 million to settle insurance claims over this type of crime, with the number of burglaries in the year to March coming in at nearly a quarter of a million. Figures recently released by one major insurer with regards to burglary levels over recent months show an increase which consumers need to bear in mind.

Insurance officials are now urging consumers to check that their policies for home insurance are up to date and that they pay more attention to the security of their homes to minimise on risk.

One official said that it was important to ensure that any valuables were kept safe and not left out where opportunist thieves can take them. He said " If consumers are aware of the dangers, they can remove the easy pickings for the opportunist burglar."

Another added "Now is the time to do a review of home security and make sure things are as good as they can be. It may seem selfish, but if you make it difficult for burglars they will simply go elsewhere."