Police chiefs tell homeowners to demand Google blurs their house on Street View after 40% rise in burglaries

The rise of Google’s Street View tool has left homes across Britain vulnerable to burglars, police leaders have warned.

Householders should consider asking the internet giant to blur out images of their properties to prevent them being targeted, officers said.

It comes as the head of Neighbourhood Watch warned that Street View allows criminals to scout for “easy pickings”.

Homes on nearly every major residential street in Britain have been made easily visible since Google launched the technology a decade ago.

Since then, a number of burglars have reportedly used the tool to ‘case’ potential targets. Last night a Google spokesman insisted that linking Street View to burglaries was like “blaming the motor industry for crime because criminals also use getaway cars”.

But Richard Cooke, chairman of West Midlands Police Federation, said the technology was “certainly a concern”.

“I’m sure thieves are using this technology to make their jobs easier,” he told the Telegraph.  “The police use Street View as a tool, and I believe criminals do too.”

As part of its terms and conditions, Google has agreed to blur out images of people and properties on request.

Homes belonging to well-known figures including Sir Paul McCartney, former Prime Minister Tony Blair and singer Katherine Jenkins have already been obscured.

“I would urge homeowners who are concerned to ask Google to cover up their properties,” Mr Cooke said. “It’s the only way to be sure.”

In 2014, an investment banker suggested burglars had used the technology to to raid his secluded mansion and steal £100,000 worth of jewellery.

Four years earlier, Google defended itself against claims that thieves repeatedly targeted a property in Bradford after spotting its door open online.

A number of burglars in the US have been convicted after allegedly using Street View to look for targets.

John Hayward-Cripps, CEO of Neighbourhood Watch, said the technology could be “easily mis-used by burglars to locate properties that are easy pickings”.

“Some people may think they are not at risk because many of the images on Street View are years old,” he said.

“However, the images can still be used to see if a home is in an environment that allows a burglar a swift exit. For instance, if a house backs onto a pathway or if there are various hiding places nearby.

“It is important that the public know their rights and can ask Google to blur out their homes on Street View. If celebrities can do this citing security concerns, ordinary people should be aware that they have that right as well.”

It comes as police forces across the country struggle to cope with a rising tide of violent crime.

Figures released last  year showed the number of unsolved domestic burglaries has risen from 47 per cent to 64 per cent - while in some areas nine out of ten cases are written off without any action.

After years of decline, burglary has suddenly seen a sharp upturn with more than 400,000 crimes recorded last year - around half of which took place at people's homes.

A Google spokesman said: "The imagery available on Street View is no different from what people can see when walking down the street themselves or when viewing images which are already widely available on a number of real estate and directory sites. “Saying that Street View is enabling crime is like blaming the motor industry for crime because criminals also use getaway cars.”