Residents in an affluent area of Nottingham say they are largely unworried about burglaries as new data suggested a rise in the crime in the last year. Trent Bridge - along with the city centre - makes up part of the area in Nottinghamshire with the most burglaries in the last year.
The crime was committed 188 times, a significant increase on 144 in 2020/21, according to police neighbourhood crime figures. This equates to 14 burglaries per 1,000 people.
However, people living in the Trent Bridge area seemed mostly unwavering. One of these was 89-year-old Roger Seddern, who moved to Nottingham four years ago with wife Daša.
Read more: New data reveals the neighbourhoods in Nottingham most at risk of burglary
"I don't think we've had anything like that at all," he said. "This does surprise me, I haven't got a clue why it could be so high. It's strange." Tara Kay, 23, agreed but said the rate could be due to the high number of student houses.
"I'm not really worried though," she said. An anonymous mum-of-two said she felt "relatively safe" despite the statistics. "I suppose we're quite close to areas that aren't quite as affluent," she said.
"It's also easy access from the main road so people might target it. People possibly think there are expensive goods in the houses. I'm not worried though."
Akram Khan, 83, who has lived in the neighbourhood for more than 20 years, added: "We've had nothing in the past five years. I am usually home so that might be why. There's not really much chance."
One resident who expressed little surprise was Sarah Bell, who said two cars had been stolen from her drive in the space of weeks around two years ago.
"It was a BMW four series that was stolen first," she said. "Then within weeks the replacement car was stolen, that's why we think it was targeted. We've had cameras installed as a result."
Burglary is the act of breaking into a building with the intention of stealing, hurting someone, or causing damage. There are three types of burglary, domestic burglary on a home, non-domestic burglary on a business or shop, and aggravated burglary, which is where an offender goes equipped for burglary with a weapon.
The neighbourhoods suffering more burglaries after The City Centre and Trent Bridge were the Arboretum, Forest, Trent University in Nottingham, and West Bridgford in Rushcliffe. Additionally, when compared to the population size, residents in The City Centre and Trent Bridge were also more at risk from burglars than any other Nottinghamshire neighbourhood.
Jeffrey DeMarco, assistant director at the charity Victim Support said: “The impact of a burglary goes beyond just the financial losses, although these can be devastating. Home should be the place where we feel most safe.
“A burglary is an invasion of that space and can deeply unsettle people’s sense of security. For some, it could mean the loss of treasured belongings and memories that can never be replaced.
“Sadly, too many people still fall victim to burglary. Support services like Victim Support also offer free practical and emotional support to victims - call the charity’s free 24/7 Supportline on 0808 16 89 111.”
Read next:
