The UK’s mobile phone and tablet theft hotspots

Surprising new research reveals that you’re more likely to get your phone stolen in Leeds than in London.

The number of claims for gadget thefts are falling, but certain parts of the country are still hotspots for thieves, according to new data from Protect Your Bubble.

Overall thefts of gadgets such as mobile phones or tablets are dropping. Only 5.4% of claims made to Protect Your Mobile were for theft in the last six months to September. That is down from 6.4% between October 2014 and March 2015.

But in some cities across the country theft is increasing. In Salford claims for stolen mobile phones have risen from 9.1% to 14.9% in just six months. Other cities that have seen a rise in theft are Sunderland, Portsmouth, Cardiff, Wakefield, Leicester, Newcastle, Liverpool, Wolverhampton and Swansea.

“The number of gadget thefts across the UK might be falling but 10 cities have seen thefts rise,” says Stephen Ebbet, Global Director of Protect Your Bubble. “Portable gadgets are prolific and easy to steal, either unwittingly or forcibly, and have a street value, which is why cities like Wakefield, Newcastle and Swansea have seen thefts more than double in just six months.”

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Theft hotspots

In Leeds over a fifth of claims made to Protect Your Bubble were for theft, the highest level in the UK. At the other end of the spectrum thefts in Derby account for just 1.5% of insurance claims.

	Town/City	% mobile and tablet theft claims Oct 2014 – Mar 2015	% mobile and tablet theft claims Apr 2015 – Sept 2015
1.	Leeds	28.6%	21.4%
2.	Salford	9.1%	14.9%
3.	London	11.3%	9.5%
4.	Belfast	11.9%	9.2%
5.	Sunderland	5.7%	8.2%
6.	Portsmouth	4.8%	7.4%
7.	Cardiff	4.2%	7.1%
8.	Brighton	7.8%	7.2%
9.	Manchester	7.2%	6.9%
10.	Wakefield	3.1%	6.8%
11.	Leicester	6.2%	6.2%
12.	Southampton	6.2%	6.2%
13.	Nottingham	6.4%	6.0%
14.	Sheffield	6.6%	5.9%
15.	Reading	6.6%	5.8%
16.	Birmingham	6.7%	5.8%
17.	Coventry	5.6%	5.2%
18.	Newcastle	1.8%	4.9%
19.	Liverpool	4.4%	4.9%
20.	Bradford	8.8%	4.8%
21.	Swindon	5.3%	4.6%
22.	Bristol	6.8%	4.4%
23.	Preston	10.7%	4.0%
24.	Glasgow	4.8%	3.6%
25.	Northampton	7.0%	3.5%
26.	Milton Keynes	7.6%	3.5%
27.	Stoke-on-Trent	4.3%	3.3%
28.	Luton	6.6%	3.3%
29.	Wolverhampton	2.9%	3.2%
30.	Swansea	1.6%	3.0%
31.	Aberdeen	4.0%	3.0%
32.	Edinburgh	3.9%	2.4%
33.	Hull	5.1%	2.0%
34.	Plymouth	6.7%	1.6%
35.	Derby	2.7%	1.5%
	UK	6.4%	5.4%

How to protect your phone or tablet

The simplest way to protect your phone or tablet from thieves is to keep it out of sight in a zipped compartment in your bag or a zipped pocket. It is also well worth keeping your phone PIN protected.

“If you fall victim to a mobile thief, call your airtime provider and block your handset as fast as you can,” says Ebbett. “If you haven’t made a note of it, ask your network for your handset’s unique IMEI to pass on to the police when you report the theft.”

The police will give you a crime reference number that you can pass onto your insurer when you make a claim.

The best value gadget insurance

These days many of us are carrying around mobile phones or tablets worth hundreds of pounds, so it pays to make sure they are insured. Companies such as Protect Your Bubble provide specialist insurance but it can be pricey.

The cost of phone and tablet insurance from your provider will depend on what models you own. They'll send over your replacement by the next day if it's lost or stolen and some will even cover you for unauthorised calls from your phone. Network insurance can add up to a fairly hefty bill though, particularly if you're very careful with your gadgets and end up not using it.

Before you take out a specialist policy check to see if your home insurance covers your phones. Many do, or gadget protect can be added for a small monthly fee. This can be a much cheaper way of protecting your phone.

Also, if you have a packaged bank account – that’s one you pay a monthly fee for – check to see if that includes mobile phone insurance. Packaged accounts can also give you travel insurance and advice as well as enhanced customer service and cashback.

However you insure your phone make sure that the policy has sufficient cover and protection. “Good gadget insurance will replace the stolen handset, as well as covering you for unauthorised calls,” says Ebbett.

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This is a classic loveMONEY article that has been updated

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