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Homeowners doubtful that neighbours would raise the alarm

02/05/06

Only one in five Britons feel they can rely on their neighbours to raise the alarm if they see anything suspicious taking place near their home.

A survey from Zurich Insurance has revealed that just 20 per cent would expect a call from their neighbours and the figure was even lower – 11 per cent – among 25 to 34 year-olds.

However, the majority – 53 per cent – insisted that they liked their neighbours and would watch out for them and their property.

The poll, which involved 1,344 people and was carried out by online market research company tickbox.net, also revealed that 46 per cent of British people are afraid of being burgled while they are away from home and nine per cent feel scared when they are alone in the house.

Although Home Office statistics indicate that the likelihood of being a victim of crime is at its lowest level since 1981, the poll suggests that fear of crime among Britons is growing and over a quarter of respondents said that they thought the frequency of burglaries and graffiti incidents was increasing.

Twenty-six per cent of surveyed consumers also thought that the number of car break-ins had increased over the last five years and nearly 40 per cent claimed that there had been a rise in rubbish-dumping in their community.

A spokesman for Zurich, Martin Hall, commented: "It's interesting to see that while crime figures have fallen, the fear of crime is still a big concern."