New research from Metro Bank, conducted by YouGov, has revealed the extent to which people worry about their personal belongings.

As Christmas is fast approaching and police warn the public not to put their presents out for others to see, it’s no surprise that a quarter of British adults that say they have a prized possession  – around 8 million people – are worried about losing their possessions as a result of theft.

Alongside the one in four people who are worried about theft, more than three in 10 are worried about losing their prized possessions in a fire and nearly one in seven (15%) worry about their items being destroyed by water damage.

What precious items are people hiding?

When asked to choose their most prized possession from a list in the survey, there was much variety in the responses received. The most popular prized possession – named by almost one in ten  – was a photo album, with wedding or engagement rings (8%) closely following behind.

When asked if there was anything else they see as a prized possession, some of the more surprising items include:

• Prized whisky collections
• Childhood teddy bears
• Wartime diaries
• Fishing rods
• Vintage Star Wars collectibles

Where are Brits keeping their prized possessions?

More than a fifth of keep their cherished item in a drawer or filing cabinet and almost one in 10 (8%) keep their special belonging in the garage, loft and even in the shed. A small percentage of the country admitted that they keep their most treasured item under the bed (2%) or in a shoebox (2%). 38% of people say they only use their most prize possession once every six months or less.

Metro Bank offers Safe Deposit Boxes in a range of sizes starting from just £20 a month. The boxes are available in each of the bank’s 77 stores, with the majority open seven days a week and giving customers unlimited access to their Safe Deposit Boxes. These are available long term or short term and provide proper security for people’s most prized possessions, whether that be jewellery, a stamp collection or confidential documents.

Jeremy Lawrey, Head of Retail Accounts and Partnerships, says: “As Christmas approaches, many of us will worry about the safety of our belongings. Whether your most cherished possession is an old family heirloom, a special piece of jewellery or even a passport or house deeds, our Safe Deposit Boxes enable you to safely store your belongings in a secure environment.”