AN AVERAGE of almost £4,000 worth of property is stolen during every burglary in Newport, the seventh highest in the UK.

Figures revealed by Privilege Home Insurance show burglars in the city got away with an average of £3,999.05 worth of stolen property during every break-in between January 2016 and April this year.

According to the statistics, burglars in Lichfield in Staffordshire were the most successful, stealing an average of £5,180.61 per burglary, followed by St Albans in Hertfordshire, Durham in the north of England, Cambridge and Coventry. Lancaster was sixth in the list, followed by Newport, which was one ahead of London, where burglars took an average of £3,942.58 worth of items.

Bath ranked as the safest city in the UK, with burglars taking £1,322.28 per crime, followed by Lincoln, Salford, Aberdeen and Dundee.

Head of Privilege home insurance Christian Mendes said: “Interestingly, we can see the average value of stolen goods from households in smaller cities equates to more than some of the UK’s larger cities.

“This data highlights the importance of having a reliable insurance policy in place to cover any stolen items, no matter where you call home.

“By having the correct policy in place, you can focus on dealing with the emotional side of having to deal with a burglary without having to worry about your home insurance cover.”

Gwent Police declined to comment on the figures and Gwent Police and Crime Commissioner Jeff Cuthbert was unavailable.

Gloucester, Peterborough, Brighton, Derby, Wolverhampton and Birmingham followed London in the list of top 20 cities for highest values taken in burglaries, followed by Stirling, Leicester, Belfast, Plymouth, Glasgow and Manchester.

Sunderland, York, Preston, Exeter and Worcester were also among the top ten safest cities.

Simple steps such as ensuring all doors and windows are locked when a house is left empty, as well as installing a burglar alarm, can also help deter potential criminals.

Burglars may also take advantage of houses where the residents are on holiday, so police have said holidaymakers should be careful about talking about going away online unless their social media can only be seen by people they trust.

It is also advisable not to share holiday photos until coming home.

Lawns should also be cut before going away as overgrown grass can tip off burglars, while milk and newspaper deliveries should be cancelled.

Automatic timers can be used to turn lights and radios on and off during the day to make it look as if someone is at home.

Trusted neighbours can also be asked to collect post, or park their car in your driveway.

Houses under renovation are particularly vulnerable to burglars, and any expensive tools should be kept secure overnight.

Although home insurance can cover the cost of stolen items, all policies have a limit to how much cash they will replace if stolen in a burglary, so it is advisable not to keen large amounts of cash in the home.

This includes gift vouchers, cheques, postal orders, travellers cheques, postage stamps and other items equivalent to currency.

Information which may help officers investigating burglaries can be reported to police on 101.

Information can also be reported anonymously to Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111 or via crimestoppers-uk.org

If a burglary is in process call 999.