VAUXHALL has pledged to continue to invest heavily in vehicle security after securing a BVRLA Security Award for the sixth time in 11 years. Chris Gubbey, Vauxhall's director of manufacturing, said the company had spent more than £75 million developing and implementing measures to prevent car crime, and would continue to spend a similar sum annually to outwit thieves.

'Since the launch last spring of the revised Corsa range, thefts of the model in one force area dropped to just three,' said John Winter, head of Vauxhall's vehicles security and safety team. That is down from 128 in 1994 and 69 in 1995. There were no Omega thefts at all, which indicates that we have got it right across the range.'

Ford won the BVRLA's award in the light commercial vehicle category. A standard-fit immobiliser on the Transit, along with shielded door looks, improved hinge arrangements on rear doors, and the option of volume sensing alarms convinced the judges that Ford deserved the LCV security award for the second year running.