The latest data analysis from stolen vehicle recovery (SVR) expert, Tracker, reveals that once again more cars were stolen and recovered in London than any other region across the UK in 2020. However, the West Midlands and Greater Manchester have moved up the league table to second and third positions, ousting Essex from second to fourth position. Analysis also reports another annual increase in keyless car thefts, now standing at an all-time high of 93%.
Other car crime hot spots within Tracker’s regional analysis include the home counties Kent, Surrey and Hertfordshire, as well as Lancashire, South Yorkshire and West Yorkshire, further north. Hertfordshire and Lancashire join the top ten for the first time, while Herefordshire and Merseyside have dropped out. See the map below for the top 10 theft regions in 2020:
London: The Top Spot For Theft
Clive Wain, Head of Police Liaison for Tracker, commented: “It is no surprise that London was the busiest region for vehicle thefts and recoveries in 2020 – it always is. The area accounts for as many recoveries as the next seven regions in our top ten, combined. Nor is it a surprise to see Range Rover and Land Rover dominating our UK hot spots.
“However, yet another annual increase in the number of cars being stolen by thieves exploiting keyless car technology should ring alarm bells for everyone, regardless of the make and model they drive. Thieves use sophisticated equipment to exploit keyless technology by hijacking the car key’s signal, typically from the security of the owner’s home, and remotely fooling the system into unlocking the doors and starting the engine. This is commonly known as a “relay attack” and accounted for 93% of all our recorded thefts in 2020. This nudged up from 92% in 2019 but represents a shocking 27% increase in the last 5 years.”
