Edinburgh 2nd top of UK phone theft league

They are historic cities that draw tourists in droves but visitors to Cardiff and Edinburgh would do well to keep their wits about them.
Edinburgh is second top in the UK for mobile phone theft. Picture:  Neil HannaEdinburgh is second top in the UK for mobile phone theft. Picture:  Neil Hanna
Edinburgh is second top in the UK for mobile phone theft. Picture: Neil Hanna

According to a new study, phone owners are most likely to have their mobiles stolen in the Scottish and Welsh capitals.

The places top a list of 30 of the UK’s biggest towns and cities where thieves apparently steal the most gadgets.

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More than a third (36%) of claims to one insurer from mobile phone owners in Cardiff relate to theft, the study found.

This figure stands at 32% in Edinburgh and 30% in Hull.

More than a fifth of claims made to gadget insurer Protect Your Bubble in London followed reports of stolen phones, putting the capital city in sixth place.

Those living in Stoke-On-Trent are apparently safest when it comes to mobile phone crime. Just 7.7% of the total claims in the Staffordshire city are for theft, according to Protect Your Bubble’s figures. It was followed by Plymouth (8.4%), Wolverhampton (8.8%) and Dudley (8.9%).

The report found 21 to 25-year-olds were the most likely victims of mobile phone theft.

Stephen Ebbett, director of Protect Your Bubble, said: “Cardiff and Edinburgh’s big student populations could explain why these are hotspots for theft claims, as we know those in their early 20s are most likely to be victims of mobile theft.”

An analysis of the insurer’s data reveals sat navs are the gadgets stolen most frequently. Personal music players such as iPods come bottom of the list.

Further findings show mobile owners in Manchester and Bradford are most likely to lose their handsets. Four in 10 (40%) claims from customers in these cities are for loss, higher than any other major UK city.

Across the UK, 26 to 30-year-olds are most likely to lose their mobile phones. And by looking at the loss claims, Protect Your Bubble insurers say headphones are the most common portable item to be misplaced.

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“Gadget owners can never be too cautious when it comes to safeguarding their gadgets,” Mr Ebbett added.

“If you’re the sort of person who regularly carries around a smartphone and a tablet or laptop, you’re carting around circa £1,000 worth of high-tech gear. Comprehensive gadget insurance can cover you should you be unlucky enough to have your gadgets stolen, and claiming won’t affect your annual premium.”

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