VIDEO: Sheffield makes top 10 list of most burgled cities

Eye-tracking technology reveals it takes only one minute for a burglar to inspect the outside of your home, during which time they spot an average of 11 security flaws.

New video footage reveals the security flaws you may not have noticed, pointed out by a reformed burglar.

New research has revealed that it takes a burglar just over one minute to decide whether to enter your home and, in that time, they will spot an average of 11 security flaws.

The research conducted by Anglian Home Improvements also revealed the top 10 cities with the highest burglary rates in England.

Of the 20 most populated cities in England, the top 10 that have reported the most burglaries in the year ending March 2018 are:

London (30.1 per 1,000 residents)

Birmingham (14.92 per 1,000 residents)

Liverpool (14.21 per 1,000 residents)

Bristol (13.2 per 1,000 residents)

Manchester (13.2 per 1,000 residents)

Sheffield (12.17 per 1,000 residents

Leeds (10.84 per 1,000 residents)

Leicester (10.82 per 1,000 residents)

Coventry (10.5 per 1,000 residents)

Bradford (10.21 per 1,000 residents)

Anglian Home Improvements worked with Richard Taylor, a reformed criminal, now security expert, to give homeowners expert advice on how to look after their home.

Using the latest in eye-tracking technology, Anglian's new video campaign captures Richard's eye movements to determine the key factors that burglars look for when breaking into a home. Richard walked around three different properties'”a semi-detached home, a detached home and a new build'”to look at how each homeowner handled their security.

The eye-tracker, worn by Richard, recorded a surprisingly high 32 security flaws within the space of the three minutes, seven seconds that he spent in total looking at the three properties. He revealed that this was all the time he needed to make a decision about whether to break into the property.

Richard spent most of his time looking at windows, doors and locks for security issues. Windows are a key break-in point for domestic burglaries, as government records state that 23% of domestic burglaries in 2016/17 took place through a window.

It wasn't just windows and doors that caught Richard's attention. Escape routes, outdated security alarms and letters in the post box'”which suggest that homeowners are on holiday'”were also pointed out as security flaws. Last year, 62% of people burgled had no or less than basic home security.

It wasn't all negative, however; Richard also pointed out a few security measures that the homeowners had gotten right.

Open front gardens with little or no hedging to provide cover for would-be burglars and gravel paths that are noisy to walk on were pointed out by Richard, who said they are good deterrents for burglars as they provide 'psychological barriers', where the burglar would be required to put in extra effort, or there is a chance that they could get caught.

Commenting on the findings, Liza Wrigley, Digital Marketing Manager at Anglian Home Improvements, said: 'While it takes a burglar less than a minute to decide whether to break into a property, the good news is that there are many simple ways to improve the security of your home.

'Always ensure that alarms are installed, and that doors and windows have adequate locks. Don't leave bins near escape routes and consider asking a family, friend or neighbour to pop by when you're on holiday to check on your home.

'It was great to work with Richard in the video, as he has pointed out security flaws that many of us would not have realised. We hope that our video inspires people to look at their homes in a different way and think about the other ways in which we can keep our homes secure.'

To learn more about how to protect your home from being burgled, watch the Anglian video here:

https://www.anglianhome.co.uk/goodtobehome/guides/what-are-burglars-really-looking-for-safety-tips-from-an-ex-burglar/