Footwear clue to house break ins

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If you have made a home insurance claim following a burglary in Northamptonshire, the chances are the thief was wearing a pair of Reebok Classic, according to intriguing new research.

An analysis of footprints left at crime scenes showed the shoes to be the footwear of choice for more than 50% of burglars.

Researchers at the University of Leicester found they were worn by 52 out of 100 burglars in Northamptonshire.

They also found that burglars from poorer areas tended to wear more expensive trainers.

The cost of trainers worn by unemployed burglars was £67 on average, while the average cost of those worn by burglars with jobs was £48.

Dr John Bond, a Fellow at the university's forensic research centre who carried out the study, described the findings as surprising.

He said: "We wondered whether there was a link between the type of shoes people wear to commit burglaries and their lifestyle.

"We were quite surprised to find this kind of correlation between the cost of the footwear and where people live."

It is hoped the findings will help police catch criminals by narrowing down their search to those most likely to be wearing the type of shoe identified in crime scene footprints.

The results of the study, published in the Psychology Crime and Law journal, emerged after it was revealed earlier this week that criminals are on the lookout for different loot since globalisation brought prices of some household goods down.

Copyright © Press Association 2010

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