Around 22 per cent of families with children under the age of five have had their kids toys or equipment stolen from outside their house during the past year, according to new research from Halifax Home Insurance .
The most popular item that thieves targeted were bikes, which accounted for 18 per cent of all thefts from parents with children under five. Buggies, clothes and nappies were also found to have been taken.
Halifax commented that with designer prams costing as much as £649.99 and some wendy houses selling for over £4000, some parents could find it a struggle to replace the stolen goods.
The insurer advises parents to keep moveable garden toys and play equipment, such as paddling pools and trampolines, locked away where possible. David Rochester, head of underwriting at Halifax Home Insurance, said: “Parents can protect themselves from the financial costs of theft, if not the psychological impact, by investing in comprehensive home insurance cover .”