The map shows Christmas crime hotspots across England and Wales

New research has revealed areas in England and Wales are increasingly at risk of crime this Christmas.

Data from the Office of National Statistics (ONS) was analyzed ahead of the holiday.

Hampshire took the top spot with the highest annual change in crime rate.

Comparing the crime rate in December 2020 to December 2021, the county recorded a 33.82% increase.

ADT, which conducted the research, says the numbers reflect an increase seen primarily during the festive period compared to other times of the year.

According to the data, Gloucestershire is also seeing an alarming rise in crime.

It ranks second on the list and saw a 32.32% increase in crime between December 2020 and December 2021.

The county, with a population of around 640,700, witnessed violence and theft.

In third place for the biggest year-on-year increase in crime was Merseyside, up 31.05%.

Greater Manchester, the West Midlands and North Wales narrowly avoided the top 3 hotspots when it came to areas identified in the data.

In Cumbria, Nottinghamshire, West Yorkshire and Staffordshire crime has also risen sharply from year to year.

ADT has issued a range of advice for people wanting to stay safe this winter – especially if the house is empty while they visit loved ones.

Setting a burglar alarm, investing in a video doorbell or outdoor cameras, and opening doors and windows are important steps that can be taken.

They also advise keeping Christmas gifts and valuable items out of sight so as not to attract “unwanted” attention.

As part of the research, ADT also surveyed localized areas of England and Wales with the highest crime rates.

According to the research, the City of Westminster is the most dangerous part of London.

This region alone has a crime rate of 237.74, well above the Metropolitan Police average of 93.25.

Despite a drastic -12.68% year-on-year drop from December 2019 to 2021, this didn’t last long.

In just 12 months, the crime rate in the City of Westminster has seen a huge increase, with the number of criminal incidents increasing by 66.86% by December 2021.

Denbighshire in North Wales and Liverpool in Merseyside followed behind.

Names such as Southampton, Birmingham and Stoke on Trent also made the top ten list.

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