Make sure your belongings are covered at festivals

26 June 2012 18:17:14

Festivals are a hotbed for opportunistic thieves.

If you're heading off to a music festival this summer, it's important to make sure your belongings are protected. Campers are particularly at risk, with low levels of security making it easy for opportunistic thieves to swipe unattended items. And even the possessions you carry around with you are vulnerable if you fail to keep a close eye on them after a few beers.

£226k worth of possessions stolen last year
Official crime figures show that more than 1,100 incidents of theft were reported at 11 of the top UK music festivals in 2011. The statistics, which were obtained by home insurance provider Aviva, indicate that the average person who fell victim to theft lost £354 worth of belongings, bringing the combined total at just eight of these festivals to more than £226,000.

According to Aviva, unguarded tents pose the greatest risk, with almost three-quarters of thefts reported at music festivals last year occurring in these areas. The remainder of incidents involved personal thefts, usually at the hands of opportunistic pick-pocketers.

Where are you most at risk this summer?
Records show that the highest number of thefts at festivals in 2011 occurred at Glastonbury, where 249 cases were reported, totalling in excess of £86,928. But with Glastonbury cancelled this summer due to the Olympics causing a shortage of portaloos and police officers, where else should you be particularly on your guard?

According to the Aviva research, the next highest number of thefts was recorded at Reading Festival last year, where 195 incidents were reported. Reading was followed by V Festival Essex (165 thefts) and Bestival (122 cases). At the other end of the spectrum, revellers at T4 on the Beach reported just four thefts with a combined value of £250, while 20 thefts involving items worth a total of £6,251 occurred at Big Chill.

Take steps to reduce risk
Wherever you plan to party this summer, there will always be opportunistic thieves close-by, just waiting for you to drop your guard. Aviva advises people to only take essential items to festivals and to never leave valuables unattended in tents. Household underwriter Jonathan Cracknell said that many people insist on taking expensive gadgets and accessories with them, but that "swapping the digital for the disposable is a good idea". He also suggests making the most of free lock-up areas if they are available.

Finally, you should make sure any expensive items are covered under your home insurance, even if it means paying a little extra for additional personal belongings cover.

‹ Back

All news articles

All Home Page News
All News Stories

Product Offers
Please ensure that you fully read the terms & conditions of any product or policy before you decide to proceed and are fully aware of the total costs and the benefits and any exclusions or limitations applicable to the product or plan.

Please note that the product links will take you direct to the Issuer or Insurer's site direct and we cannot be held responsible for the information which they provide within their own sites. On some comparison tables we use a star rating which rates products by visitor popularity.