The Office for National Statistics have just released crime statistics for the year ending March 16. We took a look, expecting to see burglary on the rise, here's what we found instead.

The document shows that domestic burglary has fallen by 11% year on year but, despite this, they don't deem the reduction significant (as signified by the asterisk in the table - see report here).

Despite the lower numbers, a massive 701,000 burglaries took place over the year, which they calculate as 29 per 1,000 households.

Burglary On The Rise? - No, so what does this mean for homeowners?

While the reduction in this type of crime is generally a good thing, it might not be for homeowners without a burglar alarm.

Over the last 20 years, the report shows a massive 71% decrease in burglaries - which also correlates with the emergence of cheaper and more technologically advanced home security systems.

Basically, what we conclude from this is, while more and more people invest in burglar alarms, the rate of this type of crime is going down.

What this means for you - Burglary on the rise for unprotected homes?

Unfortunately, the security savvy have shot their neighbours in the foot by making their houses much less appealing. The burglar is likely to avoid these homes because the risk of getting caught increases with the more security systems the household has.

Well, we think it's pretty safe to say that you might want to think about investing in a new alarm system - and soon.

How many of the 701,000 houses burgled do you think had a working burglar alarm?

We don't know. But we can take a wild guess and say not many.

Luckily, burglar alarms have become cheaper and cheaper as the technology evolves and now it's easier than ever to get yourself a home burglar alarm.

Obviously we don't advocate getting a cheap security system off the internet. The problems with this are numerous, so its best to go to a professional.

Some security companies will offer you a quote over the phone. Again, this isn't best practice as they're more than likely offering you an out of the box package that's not suited to you or your home.

What you should look for is a company that offers a free home security survey - these are the guys that know what they're doing and aren't going to oversell you on a 'fixed package'.

These alarm systems rarely fit the exact needs of your home as they often contain a set amount of PIR sensors or CCTV cameras, which may or may not cover you sufficiently.

Remember: Always check if the company has an industry related accreditation!

The great thing is, it's not hard or expensive to have your home surveyed by a professional intruder alarm installer. In fact, it's free.

At Spy Alarms, our team give honest advice on what is best for your home, not what is the most expensive. For a FREE quote, please get in touch with our team.