London tops car theft hot spots
London remains the vehicle theft hot spot, according to data released by stolen vehicle recovery company Tracker.
It found that Essex was the second most popular area for car thieves, with police constantly discovering new ‘chop-shops’ where stolen vehicles are stripped down and expensive parts sold on.
Other hot spot regions identified by Tracker include Kent, Surrey and Hertfordshire in the south east of England, where BMW, Mercedes-Benz and Land Rover were favoured in equal measure by thieves. West and South Yorkshire, Manchester and Merseyside represent the north of England’s criminal hotspots; Merseyside reappears in the league table having dropped out in 2018.
Clive Wain, head of police liaison at Tracker, said: “It is clear from both sets of data that thieves have stepped up activity in some regions over recent years. During this period of lockdown, it is even more important that car owners remain vigilant and do what they can to keep their car safe.
“Our analysis highlights some interesting manufacturer preferences by region, as 4x4s continuing to dominate our top 10 most desirable makes and models that thieves are stealing. However, whilst it is common for car thieves to target premium marques, we should not underestimate the appetite for lower value cars.”
