One in 10 (8%) Brits state they have been a victim of, or witnessed a crime, according to Direct Line, but have not reported it to the police, it case it put a dent in the value of their home. They worry that it would show up on an online police crime map and devalue their property or make it more difficult to rent.

The report also reveals that 4.5 million (9%) Britons would consider not reporting a crime, or would discourage their neighbour from reporting one because it would show up on an online crime map.

Those living in Newcastle (15%), Birmingham (13%), London (11%) and Glasgow (10%) are the least likely to report a crime for this reason.

Check it out

Half (49%) of UK adults would check crime statistics in a area they were looking to move to before committing to buying or renting a property. And a massive 47% refuse to live in a high crime neighbourhood.

Rebecca Clapham, head of household products at Direct Line, said: “We are a nation obsessed with property and this has even filtered through to how we report crime, with some homeowners concerned about doing anything that could devalue their home.

“It’s frightening that people are turning a blind eye to crime with some going unreported as a result. People need to remember that the purpose of a crime map is to analyse crime to help law enforcement and to evaluate crime prevention strategies, not to devalue a property.”