‘Mischief week’ set to contribute to debt fears?

Damage to property caused in the time period between Halloween and Bonfire Night could be about to exacerbate the debt fears being felt by money, new research has suggested.

The study, carried out by Santander, revealed 23 per cent of Britons have fallen victim to ‘mischief week’.

It means 11.3 million households have been affected in the time frame and have faced an average bill of £324 in repair fees.

The investigation found around 5.9 million people have had eggs thrown at their homes, while six per cent have suffered damage to their garden.

Moreover, three per cent of those questioned have seen their property struck by stray fireworks and another three per cent witnessed their residences damaged by sparklers.

A further three per cent had items such as fireworks and silly string posted through their letterboxes.

Two per cent of respondents revealed they have had their windows broken during ‘mischief week’, while another two per cent have had graffiti sprayed on their houses.

Furthermore, two per cent of people quizzed claimed they have been violently attacked by individuals using fireworks as weapons.

From a geographical view, those living in the north-west of England are the most likely to be affected by pranksters during the period.

Miguel Sard, chief executive officer at Santander Insurance, said: “Not only is there a risk of property and possessions being damaged, but with many people out and about viewing fireworks or trick or treating, burglars see this as a great opportunity to enter people’s homes.”

HSBC recently claimed many people in the UK do not have an adequate financial safety net to fall back on should they lose their jobs.

By Joe White