Updated: Vehicle theft figures more than double recent estimates

The Home Office has confirmed there were 101,198 reported vehicle thefts in 2021, more than twice the figure published by the DVLA in February.

The revelation was uncovered by Philip Swift, a former police detective and managing director of Claims Management & Adjusting (CMA).

Swift lodged the FOI after reading how West Midlands Police and Crime Commissioner, Simon Foster, had written to the Transport Secretary, Grant Shapps, following a report by the DVLA that 48,400 cars were stolen during 2021, urging the Government to be better at holding car manufacturers to account for the security vulnerabilities they are failing to address.

In response to his letter, the Home Office stated that the figure was almost 102,000.

Swift said: “Our work involves scrutinising stolen vehicle claims on behalf of insurers and the 48,400 figure bandied about in the national and motoring press in February struck us as incredibly low. Now, our diligence has revealed this new Home Office figure: 101,198 vehicle thefts in England and Wales alone last year, with the rate likely rising post-pandemic.”

The number has dropped from the 180,000 a year in 2006, when the Home Office stopped publishing the annual car theft index. But, Swift said you also have to look at the changing nature of car crime, view the picture as a whole, to understand the size of the problem and how to tackle it. Theft numbers are just one facet.

He added: “20 years ago, the typical vehicle theft was an old Ford Escort worth less than £5k taken for ‘joyriding’ and later recovered. Now, it is a nearly new high-end Range Rover worth £100k stolen by professional criminals and seldom recovered.

"For the victim, being reunited with their pride and joy is far less likely. For the insurance industry, in pound note terms, the current situation is significantly worse.”

Figures from West Midlands Police reveal that the manufacturer with the highest proportion of stolen cars was Abarth, with Alfa Romeo, Ford, Range Rover and Land Rover also ranking highly.

Nationally the Ford Fiesta and Range Rover are among the most stolen cars. A significant number of those taken were fitted with keyless entry technology, which thieves are able to defeat in seconds.

In response to Foster's letter, the Home Office said: “The Government is working with policing leads to ensure all relevant partners are taking action to tackle this crime, including manufacturers.

"We continue to take forward a programme of work to tackle vehicle-related theft through the National Vehicle Crime Working Group, which is chaired by the NPCC lead for vehicle crime, ACC Jenny Sims.

"This group includes motor vehicle manufacturers, as well as police and insurance industry representatives.

"This work is overseen by the Government’s Crime and Justice Taskforce, which is chaired by the Prime Minister and aims to reduce neighbourhood crime.”