Revealed: Britain's burglary hotspots

By contrast, the most secure place in Britain is Guildford.

For the second year running, researchers for an insurance company found that Nottingham residents are almost twice as likely to make a claim for theft from their homes as an average household.

Those in Leeds were the second most likely to be burgled, followed by the residents of Hull.

The results of the study, carried out by Endsleigh Insurance, were collected by analysing burglary claims from customers across the UK over the last four years.

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The frequency of claims in different towns and cities was then compared to the firm's national average.

According to the survey, householders in Nottingham, which in recent years has also become notorious for its gun crime problem, are 88 per cent more likely to be burgled than the national average.

Leeds and Hull residents are 63 per cent and 55 per cent more likely respectively to make a claim than the average policyholder.

On the other hand, Guildford householders are 64 per cent less likely to make a claim than the company's average.

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Last night Nottingham North MP Graham Allen discounted the findings as 'sloppy'.

He said: 'Last year we dismissed the Endsleigh survey as it was shown to be not very thorough and didn't take into account a number of factors. The criticism stands this year.

'In Nottingham we have one of the best reductions in crime over the last 18 months of anywhere in the country.

'It's just sloppy for people to go back to ideas about what's going on in the city. We are having to work very hard to shake off our reputation.' In Surrey, Pauline Searle, Liberal Democrat councillor for Guildford North, said she was not sure why her home town was so safe.

She suggested the large number of neighbourhood watch schemes in the area could be a factor.

'It is a bit of a mystery, to be honest,' she said.

'There are a lot of neighbourhood watch schemes in Guildford so people would be keeping an eye out for each other, and that might be acting as a disincentive to burglars.

'Then again we could be just lucky. People in Guildford do live a relatively long time but we're also the divorce capital of the country, so you can't have it all.'

The British Crime Survey and police recorded crime figures have both shown considerable falls in burglaries since peaks in the earlymid 1990s.

However the latest BCS figures, for 2004/5 to 2005/6, show domestic burglary remained stable.

Stuart Wartalski of Endsleigh said homeowners could take basic steps to avoid becoming victims of burglary.

He said: 'It is crucial that, as well as getting involved in neighbourhood-safety schemes where they can, people across the country remain vigilant when it comes to home security.

'There are a range of steps that householders can take to protect their homes, such as installing burglar alarms, window locks, double-glazing and motion-sensitive lighting.

'Even simple, cost-effective measures such as using plug-in timers for lights and radios when you are out or on holiday can make a difference in putting off potential burglars.'