The Worst Areas in the UK for Car Theft
According to the 2017 league table of Top Ten Most Stolen and Recovered Vehicles, from Tracker (part of the Tantalum Corporation), London is still the top region where cars are most stolen and recovered. For the second year in a row, Essex is in second place, whilst Greater Manchester moves from seventh place in 2016, back up to third in 2017.
The most popular car for thieves in London was the Mercedes Benz C Class, which is not surprising given the C Class came ninth in the overall best-selling cars list in 2016 and 2017 and continues to hold this position in 2018*.
In Essex it was the BMW X5 that was most commonly stolen and recovered in 2017 and in Greater Manchester, it was the Range Rover Sport. The most expensive car stolen in London was a Rolls Royce Phantom worth around £120k. However, the average value of stolen vehicles has remained relatively static from 2016 to 2017, increasing slightly from £16,436 in 2016 to £16,977.26 last year.
Tracker saw a 5% year-on-year increase in vehicle thefts and recoveries in 2017, with the total value of vehicles stolen recovered exceeding 12.5 million. There has been an overall 30% increase in the number of stolen vehicles recovered by Tracker since 2014.
Andy Barrs, Head of Police Liaison at Tracker (part of the Tantalum Corporation) says, “Whilst London remains the theft and recovery hot spot for the sixth year running, the Capital isn’t the only place where car owners need to be vigilant. Cambridgeshire, Sussex and Nottinghamshire all entered the top 10 regions for the first time this year, as thieves find fresh pickings in different areas.
“80% of all vehicles stolen and recovered by Tracker in 2017 were stolen without using the owner’s keys, quite a significant increase from the 66% stolen by this means in 2016. Of course, a Tracker device won’t prevent your vehicle from being stolen, but if it is, it will significantly increase the chances of the vehicle being recovered quickly and returned by the police.
“We have a unique partnership with UK police forces and 2017 saw our technology assist officers to make 47 arrests. Together, Tracker, car owners and the police are closing in on criminals and clamping down on vehicle theft.”
THE TOP TEN REGIONS FOR CAR THEFT IN 2017
| 2017 | 2016 |
|
1. London 2. Essex 3. Manchester/Greater Manchester 4. West Midlands 5. Kent 6. West Yorkshire 7. Surrey 8. Cambridgeshire 9. Sussex 10. South Yorkshire/Nottinghamshire |
1. London and Greater London 2. Essex 3. West Midlands 4&5 = West Yorkshire/Kent 6. Surrey 7. Greater Manchester 8. Merseyside 9. South Yorkshire 10. Lancashire |
