New research has unveiled the areas of England and Wales increasingly more at risk to crime this Christmas.
Data from the Office of National Statistics (ONS) has been analysed ahead of the festive holidays.
Hampshire took the top spot with the highest year-on-year change in crime rates.
When comparing the rate of crime in December 2020 to that of December 2021, the county saw an increase of 33.82%.
ADT, who conducted the research, say the figures reflect a rise witnessed primarily during the festive period compared to other times of the year.
According to the data, Gloucestershire is also seeing an alarming rise in the levels of crime.
It sits in second place on the list, and recorded a growth in offences of 32.32% between December 2020 and December 2021.
The county, which has a population of around 640,700, witnessed high levels of violence and thefts.
In third place for year-on-year greatest rise in crime rates was Merseyside, with an increase of 31.05%.
Greater Manchester, the West Midlands and North Wales narrowly avoided the top three hot spots when it came to the areas identified in the data.
Cumbria, Nottinghamshire, West Yorkshire and Staffordshire also saw high year-on-year rises in crime.
ADT have issued a range of advice to people looking to keep safe this winter – especially if there home is empty while visiting loved ones.
Setting a burgalar alarm, investing in a video doorbell or outdoor cameras amd dib;e cjecking doors and windows are key steps which can be taken.
They also advise that Christmas presents and valuable items be kept out of sight to not attract ‘unwanted’ attention.
As part of the research, ADT also looked at localised areas in England and Wales with the highest levels of crime.
According to the research, the City of Westminster is the most dangerous borough in London.
This region alone has a crime rate of 237.74 which is significantly higher than the Metropolitan Police force average of 93.25.
Despite seeing a drastic decline of -12.68% in its year-on-year change from December 2019 – 2021, this didn’t last long.
In just the span of 12 months, the crime rate in the City of Westminster saw a huge spike with the number of criminal incidents rising by 66.86% by December 2021.
Denbighshire in North Wales and Liverpool in Merseyside followed behind.
The likes of Southampton, Birmingham and Stoke on Trent also featured on the top ten list.
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