STUDENTS starting at Bolton Institute this year have been warned to insure their belongings.

The call comes from student insurer Endsleigh which has placed much of the town in the high risk bracket for theft.

People living in the postcode areas of BL0, BL1, BL2, BL3, BL4, BL6 and BL7 are in Area 8. The most at risk area is Area 10.

John Glover, product development manager at Endsleigh, said: "Almost everything a student takes to university is highly portable, highly desirable and very easy to sell off in a pub.

"Students are likely to have an up-to-date collection of CDs and stereo as well as a fairly recent computer."

More than 60pc of Endsleigh's claims, it said, related to theft with a significant proportion happening in the first few weeks of term.