Manchester has been named the second “most dangerous” place to live in the UK for burglaries, according to a new study.
According to new research carried out by insurance comparison platform, Confused.com – which analysed the number of burglaries across the country between 2017 and 2021 – only the North East city of Middlesbrough had a higher burglary rate than Manchester, which saw an average of 7.11 thefts per 1,000 people last year.
The data show that city’s rate is more than double the UK national average of 2.60 thefts per 1,000 people.
It’s not just the city itself that has ranked highly though, as all Greater Manchester boroughs were among the top 50 most burgled areas of the UK, according to the study – with Bolton and Stockport also featuring in the top 10.
Bolton saw 6.57 burglaries per 1,000 people were reported to police, while there were 6.10 per 1,000 population in Stockport.
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Top 10 Most Burgled Areas of the UK
Middlesbrough
Manchester
Doncaster
Hackney
Kensington and Chelsea
Bolton
Haringey
Birmingham
Stockport
Hammersmith and Fulham
With all that being said, the data shows that there has generally been a drop in burglary rates across nationwide year on year, with Manchester seeing a 35.9% decrease since 2017.
The rate plummeted 30.7% in Bolton, and 37% in Stockport too.
On the other end of the spectrum though, the data shows that Trafford is regarded as the safest area of the Greater Manchester region – with 5.03 burglaries per 1,000 people in 2021.
Speaking on the findings of the new research, Jessica Willock – Home Insurance Expert at Confused.com – said: “Although burglary rates seem to be dropping year on year, it’s still as important to make sure your home is safe.
“Security cameras and burglary alarms aren’t only a great deterrent from potential thieves, but having them could reduce your home insurance prices.
“Our guide to protecting your home from burglars outlines some of the most effective ways of keeping your house safe, and this includes some simple changes, such as investing in smart home security [as] nowadays, technology has advanced to give us cheap, easy to install smart home devices such as doorbells and automated lights.
“These let you know who’s outside without you needing to go near the door.”
‘Prolific’ South Manchester burglar jailed for thefts which included peanuts…
Daisy Jackson
A ‘prolific’ burglar has been jailed for just over two years, for numerous thefts including sunglasses, airpods, and peanuts…
The man was caught red-handed inside someone’s property, where he claimed he was just wanting a glass of water – but was found by police officers to have the resident’s car keys in his pocket.
Fazal Alnesi, 26, from Moss Side, was then linked to a number of other burglaries, attempted burglaries, and thefts across South Manchester.
Fazal was sentenced to 27 months at Manchester Crown Court last week after pleading guilty to offences including six counts of burglary in June of this year.
He was arrested on 12 June, when a man returned to his home in Fallowfield in the early hours of the morning and discovered Fazal inside his address.
He claimed he was there because he wanted a glass of water but subsequently refused to leave, which led to police being called.
Officers placed Alnensi in handcuffs and found the resident’s car keys in his pocket, as well as indications that he’d been rummaging through the man’s drawers.
He was later linked to other thefts include a wrench set from a car, a pedal cycle worth £350, airpods, sunglasses – and even peanuts from one address.
He additionally took an electric bike charger from one address worth hundreds of pounds.
PC Jon Holden, from GMP’s City of Manchester district, said: “Alnensi took various items from several homes and cars across a two-week period earlier this year, making off with hundreds of pounds worth of goods.
“Ultimately, Alnensi left people feeling unsafe in his own home, and I am glad he is now behind bars.
“Our team will investigate all burglaries, and I would encourage people to get in touch with us – all intelligence helps us lock up criminals and bring them to justice.”
The top 10 ‘happiest’ places to live in the North West in 2026 have been named
Emily Sergeant
The top 10 happiest places to live in the North West have been named for 2026.
It comes as Rightmove has published its annual ‘Happy at Home’ index this week, just as it has done for the last 14 years now, exploring exactly what it is that makes people feel content about where they live, and highlighting the happiest places nationwide ahead of the new year – with thousands of residents across more than 200 locations providing feedback.
The residents told the leading property listing platform what they love (or don’t love) about their community, from the friendliness of their neighbours, to job opportunities, access to green spaces, and so much more.
The survey also outlined the differences in happiness in rural, urban, and suburban environments, as well as the way our sense of ‘home happiness’ changes as we age.
So, when it comes to the North West as a whole then, where do we have in the top 10?
Well, to kick things off, you may have already seen that one Lancashire market town has earned its place in the top 10 nationwide, not just for the North West region – and that’s Chorley.
Closest to the Bolton and Wigan boroughs, Chorley – which is is about a 40-minute drive outside of Manchester, and sits on a direct train route into the city centre.
But aside from the national top 10, when it comes to the regional top 10, the next two towns following Chorley in second and third are both in Greater Manchester.
The North West’s top 10 happiest places to live 2026
Chorley
Stockport
Altrincham
Chester
Macclesfield
Southport
Kendal
Wirral
Northwich
Carlisle
Altrincham has been named one of the North West’s happiest places to live / Credit: The Manc Group
The ever-thriving Stockport comes in at number two, followed by Trafford favourite Altrincham directly behind it at number three.
Other of the region’s inclusions like Bury, Bolton, Wigan, and the Manchester borough itself all ranked towards the bottom.
Speaking on this year’s list, Colleen Babcock – a property expert at Rightmove – explained: “The balance between greenery and everyday convenience runs through the wider findings. Even among people who would ideally choose a rural setting, access to amenities, parks and public transport remains important.
“This year’s results suggest that the places people rate most highly aren’t simply urban or rural, but often bring together some of the best elements of both.”
Featured Image – Roger Kidd (via Wikimedia Commons)
The Manc -
1st June 2022 
