Police were unable to find a suspect in 58% of the 375,001 vehicle crimes that were reported this year in the United Kingdom.

New statistics gathered by Click4reg.co.uk reveal that 217,236 reported vehicle crimes had the outcome ‘investigation complete; no suspect identified’.

The police defines vehicle crime as ‘theft from or of a vehicle or interference with a vehicle’.

While the level of vehicle crime remains high, the figures show a decline from the 450,000 reported in 2018.

A fairly big percentage of these crimes have remained under investigation (19%), in 8% of the total crimes (14,066) the police were unable to prosecute the offender. In only 0.2% cases the offender is given community sentence, a caution or is sent to prison.

The area most hit is London, with the Metropolitan Police investigating a significant 98,177 cases of vehicle crimes this year- making for 26% of all crimes this year. In second place are the areas found under the police constabulary of the West Midlands Police, with 27,265 (7%) vehicle crimes occurring in 2019.

Shockingly, in 25,425 out of 27,265 (93%) vehicle crimes in the West Midlands no suspect is identified when the case is closed.

In the areas covered by the Lancashire Constabulary only 1% of vehicle crimes ended up with ‘no suspect identified’. In the Avon and Somerset Constabulary, the Lincolnshire Police and the Metropolitan Police only 3% of vehicle crimes end up with no suspect identified.

The data also highlighted the months when the highest number of vehicle crimes occurred. January saw the most with 41,029 recorded, followed by March with 40,700.

Car thieves are stealing some of the most desirable cars and selling them on the black market for as little as £1,000, according to vehicle protection and management technology provider AX.

The most sought-after vehicles – usually those with a higher street value – include models from prestige brands such as Audi, BMW and Mercedes.

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