Look Out for Festival Thieves This Summer – Insure yourself!
The music festival has always been familiar part of the British summertime. There’s nothing better than seeing an eclectic range of bands, knee deep in mud whilst singing your heart out until you’re hoarse. But for some, the music can hit a bum note if their belongings are lost or stolen.
According to research from one of the Policy Expert panel insurers, around 12% of people have lost valuables or been victims of crime. In research conducted by Aviva, there were 1101 reported thefts across eleven of the UK’s top music festivals last year, a 19% increase on 2010. According to police records, at eight of these festivals the combined value of belongings stolen was over £220,000, an average value of £354 per item.
The most fruitful opportunity for festival thieves is the humble tent. Around three quarters of items stolen were taken from tents, with the other quarter made up of personal thefts, mainly pick pocketing.
Festival
Number of thefts
Value of thefts
Glastonbury
249
£86,928
T4 on the Beach
4
£250
Latitude
28
£5325
Big Chill
20
£6,251
V Festival Essex
165
£86,870
V Festival Staffs
112
£22,013
Wireless Festival
53
£10,807
Reading Festival
53
Not provided
Isle of Wight
195
Not provided
Bestival
122
Not provided
T in the Park
47
£8,294
TOTAL
1,101
£226,738
(Total number and value of thefts at top UK festivals in 2011)
Aviva has calculated that the average value of possessions people take to a festival is £1209.97. This could mean that if the victim doesn’t have the right level of personal possessions cover away from the home, they could find themselves seriously out of pocket.
Tips to enjoy a worry free festival:
– Never leave valuables unattended in tents or in cars
– Consider what you really need to take. Can you share who takes what among your friends? Do you really need to take an expensive watch?
– Only take out as much cash as you need
– Separate cash from cards and only take one bank/credit card if you can
– Make sure pockets or handbags have zipped openings to prevent belongings being snatched
– Don’t flash the cash or the expensive hi-tech gadgets
– Keep belongings in the bottom of your sleeping bag at night
– Use the free lock-up areas provided by the festival organisers or ensure personal belongings are kept close and within sight
– Report anything lost or stolen to the police immediately and get a crime number that you can report to your insurance company.
Policy Expert
We carefully select the insurers on our panel for their cover levels, price and claims service; to make sure you get the best possible quality for less. What you see is what you get – no hidden excesses or excessive fees. For a home insurance quote speak to one of our experts; call 0203 014 9300 or email ask@policyexpert.co.uk
Look Out for Festival Thieves This Summer – Insure yourself!
The music festival has always been familiar part of the British summertime. There’s nothing better than seeing an eclectic range of bands, knee deep in mud whilst singing your heart out until you’re hoarse. But for some, the music can hit a bum note if their belongings are lost or stolen.
According to research from one of the Policy Expert panel insurers, around 12% of people have lost valuables or been victims of crime. In research conducted by Aviva, there were 1101 reported thefts across eleven of the UK’s top music festivals last year, a 19% increase on 2010. According to police records, at eight of these festivals the combined value of belongings stolen was over £220,000, an average value of £354 per item.
The most fruitful opportunity for festival thieves is the humble tent. Around three quarters of items stolen were taken from tents, with the other quarter made up of personal thefts, mainly pick pocketing.
(Total number and value of thefts at top UK festivals in 2011)
Aviva has calculated that the average value of possessions people take to a festival is £1209.97. This could mean that if the victim doesn’t have the right level of personal possessions cover away from the home, they could find themselves seriously out of pocket.
Tips to enjoy a worry free festival:
– Never leave valuables unattended in tents or in cars
– Consider what you really need to take. Can you share who takes what among your friends? Do you really need to take an expensive watch?
– Only take out as much cash as you need
– Separate cash from cards and only take one bank/credit card if you can
– Make sure pockets or handbags have zipped openings to prevent belongings being snatched
– Don’t flash the cash or the expensive hi-tech gadgets
– Keep belongings in the bottom of your sleeping bag at night
– Use the free lock-up areas provided by the festival organisers or ensure personal belongings are kept close and within sight
– Report anything lost or stolen to the police immediately and get a crime number that you can report to your insurance company.
Policy Expert
We carefully select the insurers on our panel for their cover levels, price and claims service; to make sure you get the best possible quality for less. What you see is what you get – no hidden excesses or excessive fees. For a home insurance quote speak to one of our experts; call 0203 014 9300 or email ask@policyexpert.co.uk
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