Students at risk of debt through uninsured goods?

Theft of uninsured possessions could worsen the debt fears of many students in the coming months, new research has suggested.

Carried out by Santander, the study discovered more than one-in-eight undergraduates (13 per cent) fell victim to such a crime while at university last year.

This equates to 209,000 pupils around the UK having belongings stolen that added up to a collective £54 million.

It means there was a total of over 250,000 incidents of student burglaries during this time, which is the equivalent of 700 thefts a day or nearly one looting every minute of the year.

However, the investigation showed more than half (53 per cent) of belongings kept at university are not insured while their owners are there.

The item most commonly stolen is cash, as 37 per cent of victims had money taken from them, while a further 24 per cent were robbed of their mobile phones.

Bicycle theft was also experienced by numerous scholars, as 24 per cent were deprived of their two-wheelers.

Other popular targets for thieves included cameras, MP3 players and laptops.

The average value of the goods stolen was £211, but nine per cent of victims had possessions worth in excess of £500 taken from them.

Helen Bierton, head of Santander Current Accounts, said university goers are often perceived as easy targets for criminals and advised: "Students should ensure they take precautions to protect themselves and their possessions from crime."

A recent study by M&S Money recommended undergraduates make sure their belongings are adequately insured after discovering the average student bedroom contains £1,620 worth of kit. Research by Aviva on student thefts published last month also had similar findings.

By Amy White