Students Targeted By Thieves

Students should ensure that their personal items are insured under the contract of their house insurance, warn experts.

Research by a well known insurance firm has shown that student theft is a rapidly growing phenomenon with stealing on campuses across the country costing £126 million a year.

Nearly half of all students suffered from theft last year, costing them on average £323 each. Students' possessions add up to a grand average of £2,515 and so thieves are seeing them as an easy target.

A spokesman for the insurance firm said: "Insurance and adequate security is unlikely to be at the forefront of parents' minds as their children go off to university. But many will be surprised at the value of possessions being taken into shared accommodation or halls of residence. Typically these include an array of high value, portable, technical goods which are very attractive to opportunist thieves."

Nearly half of students questioned in the survey said that they didn't have adequate locks on their front or back doors and 46 per cent said that they never locked their bedroom doors even if a lock is fitted. By not using their locks, students are invalidating any insurance that the campus may have and so cannot claim back the value of the goods stolen.

Top tips:

•    Make sure there is an adequate lock on the door – if not buy one or get the landlord to fit one before you move in
•    Get proper insurance.
•    Keep valuable items out of sight preferably in a lockable secure cupboard.
•    Mark you belongings with a UV pen so that they can be identified if they are stolen.

Go online to find great deals on contents insurance. Many companies have policies tailored to students and those living in rented accommodation. It is vital to check the small print and make sure your individual circumstances are covered. Particularly look out for the value of any excess that may be applicable.

If you would like to know more about home insurance why not ask AnswerBank Insurance.