BUSINESS chiefs are being urged to increase their efforts to improve the safety of their car parks. Home Officer minister Paul Boateng has written to every local authority chief executive and more than 200 heads of other agencies including firms and hospitals, encouraging them to back the Secured Car Park Scheme and to increase the safety and security of car parks.

The scheme has the target of encouraging the establishment of 2,000 secure car parks by the end of year 2000. Vehicle crime represents nearly a quarter of all recorded crime, with more than a million motorists falling victim every year. The Government has set a target of reducing vehicle crime by 30% in the next five years.

Boateng said: 'Up to 30% of car crime takes place in car parks. Yet car parks which have achieved secured status have shown remarkable reductions in crime levels. Simple improvements such as better lighting or CCTV can have a big impact on the number of incidents.' The AA administers the scheme and a spokesman said companies had a part to play.