The top 20 burglary hotspots in the UK have been named - and London is home to more than half of them.

According to research by MoneySupermarket.com the nation's capital has 12 of the postcodes on the list.

But Manchester had the most burglary claims overall in the past 12 months - with 45.2 per thousand people. Herne Hill and Tulse Hill in SE24 in London were close behind with 41.8, and Muswell Hill in N10 chalked up 40.9. Birmingham and Liverpool each have two postcode districts in the top 20. Leeds saw the biggest decrease in robbery claim hotspots.

The findings were based on more than three million home insurance quotes, and reveal that households in high risk areas pay about 24% more for insurance each year.

Postcodes in Hampshire's Basingstoke are among those least likely to have made a claim, as are postcodes in Devon, the East Riding of Yorkshire and Londonderry in Northern Ireland.

MoneySuperMarket recommends the following tips to keep your home safe:

:: Always keep doors and windows locked when you're asleep, or your home is unoccupied. :: Install timers on your lights to come on when you are not home. :: Ensure items of value are kept away from easy view through windows. :: Install a suitable alarm system. :: Ensure your home contents insurance is fully up to date.