Research by Click4Reg.co.uk has found that 450,509 vehicle crimes were reported last year, an increase of 2% compared to the previous year.

The police defines vehicle crime as ‘theft from or of a vehicle or interference with a vehicle’, and the Metropolitan Police recorded the highest number at 113,014, with West Midlands Police the next most at 37,202.

To carry out its analysis, Click4Reg.co.uk looked at the latest data derived from data.police.uk.

Elie Fakhoury, managing director of Click4Reg.co.uk, said: “The findings from this research are certainly intriguing.

“With the overall number of vehicle offences increasing from the prior year, it’s a crime which is really impacting drivers.

“It’s unfortunate, as many car owners spend a ton of time and money on maintaining all aspects of their vehicle to ensure it runs effortlessly and is roadworthy.

“While vehicle crime may seem difficult to combat, it is in fact one of the more preventable crimes. Individuals can take a range of cost-effective measures to protect their vehicle from the threat of lurking criminals.

“For instance, drivers should aim to make actions such as locking doors and removing all valuable items when not in their vehicle a habit.

“Overall, better caution and attention from the public can go a very long way in drastically reducing the amount of vehicle crimes across England and Wales."

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