BURGLARY victims in the OX4 area of Oxford are more likely to make an insurance claim than anywhere else in the county, research has revealed.

The OX4 postcode – which includes East Oxford, Cowley and Blackbird Leys – is the only area in the county above the national average for the number of people per 1,000 claiming insurance after being burgled.

Yet police crime figures showing household burglary has dropped by nearly 20 per cent in the city.

The insurance claim statistics – from the MoneySuperMarket price comparison website – show contents claims in Oxford increased from 7.2 per 1,000 people to 8.1 last year. The national average is 9.7.

In the OX4 area, the number of claims following burglaries rose from 10.2 per 1,000 people in 2012 to 18.1 last year. The rise has put the postcode into the top 20 per cent of UK burglary hotspots.

OX4 resident Terry Andersohn, right, had his home in Blackbird Leys targeted by a prolific burglar in 2012.

Janet Lestrade, then 43, was sentenced to three-and-a-half years in prison for stealing 100 euros and a purse from disabled Mr Andersohn’s home.

Mr Andersohn, 64, yesterday said he was sad to hear the area was the worst in the county for burglary claims, but he said he had never claimed for his loss because he did not know how to.

He said: “It made me feel insecure and frightened.

“If I hear a noise or somebody at the door I don’t know what to do.”

And he said he did not know why the area had so many break-ins, but said: “It seems to be an easy target and people seem to target people on their own.”

The insurance claim figures were taken from the periods between December 1 and November 30 over the two years.

Thames Valley Police would not comment on the firm’s research but said its official statistics showed home burglaries had fallen.

The force’s figures show domestic burglaries in the city have fallen 19 per cent – from 389 between April 1 and December 31 last year, compared to the 480 in the same period in 2012.

Police figures for household burglary per 1,000 Oxford residents fell to 7.0 from April to December last year compared to 8.67 in the same period the year before.

Jim Maddan, chairman of the Neighbourhood and Home Watch Network for England and Wales, urged residents to get involved in a Neighbourhood Watch scheme to help protect their and their neighbours’ homes.

He said: “Crime does not flourish in communities where people care about each other.”