Heritage organisations have been urged to check their risk management strategies as cost of living pressures could drive more smash and grab attacks in the new year.
Speaking to Insurance Times, Faith Kitchen, customer segment director at Ecclesiastical Insurance, said such firms needed to be aware of the crime and that now was a “good window of opportunity” to look at how they can best protect irreplaceable items.
A smash and grab raid is carried out at speed, using extreme force to break through physical barriers to gain access to a property.
In instances involving heritage organisations, such as museums, theatres and galleries, burglaries are often pre-planned to target high value items.
Kitchen warned that such firms were “an attractive target for these crimes”.
“We have been raising the awareness [of these attacks] because of the speed it is carried out and the extreme force the thieves use to overcome physical barriers to gain access,” she said.
“Museums need to be aware of the risk when it comes to smash and grab attacks as they have been increasing over the past few years.
“Now is a good window of opportunity for [heritage organisations] to consider their…
