Arson and malicious damage are on the rise, according to small business claims data from AXA.
AXA figures showed arson up from 2.5% to over 3% and malicious damage up from 25% to over 30% for all crime related claims in the second quarter of 2004 compared to 2003.
Crime-related insurance claim settlements in the second quarter of 2004 increased by a staggering 19.3% compared to the previous quarter. Around one in five of all business claims settled between April and June was a result of crime.
The AXA Business Crime Index revealed that local businesses in Bradford were particularly at risk from crime, with just under 30% of all insurance claims settled between April and June 2004 resulting from criminal activity; the highest proportion of any major city in the UK.
Bradford is followed by Birmingham (27.1%), Nottingham (25%) and Bath (24.7%). Liverpool (14.9%), Ipswich (15.8%) and Glasgow (15.8%) were found to have the lowest percentage of crime-related business insurance claims settled during this period.
