Van theft hotspots revealed by new police data

London is the UK’s van theft capital, with October being a peak month for van-related theft, new research suggests. 

A Freedom of Information (FOI) request sent to police forces across the country revealed 14,529 incidents were recorded in London last year alone, equating to 40 vans a day being targeted in the capital.   

Most of these cases related to theft from vans (11,532), while 2,997 cases of stolen vans were reported to the Met police force. 

Of the stolen vehicles, more than half (1,604) were not recovered, while 923 were recovered intact and 470 were recovered damaged. 

With 25 police authorities responding to the FOI request for information, London was followed by West Yorkshire as a van theft hotspot. 

Here there were 902 thefts of vans, and 1,071 thefts from vans (amounting to just short of 2,000 total related van crimes) in 2023. 

Following closely in third place, Essex police recorded 1,882 van-related crimes last year. However, there was a bigger proportion of thefts from vehicles (1,476), compared to thefts of the vehicles themselves (406) here. 

Van theft and break-in hotspots   

1.    Metropolitan Police (London) - 14,529 
2.    West Yorkshire Police - 1,973 
3.    Essex Police - 1,882   
4.    Leicestershire Constabulary - 1,237 
5.    Avon and Somerset - 876  
6.    South Wales Police - 751   
7.    Nottinghamshire Police - 746 
8.    Northamptonshire Police - 553 
9.    South Yorkshire Police - 533   
10.    Humberside Police - 336   
11.    Surrey Police - 327  
12.    Hertfordshire Constabulary - 262  
13.    Bedfordshire Police - 242 
14.    Lincolnshire Police - 228 
15.    North Yorkshire Police - 208  

Comparatively, Dorset Police and Devon and Cornwall saw relatively low van crime numbers in 2023, with only 40 crimes recorded in each area. 

UK areas with lowest number of van thefts and break-ins  

1.    Dorset Police - 40 
2.    Devon and Cornwall Constabulary - 40  
3.    North Wales Police - 66 
4.    Derbyshire Constabulary - 94 
5.    Cambridgeshire Constabulary - 105 
 
The Ford Transit was the van most targeted make and model by thieves across the whole of the country, according to the FOI findings. 

Nicholas Shaw, director of operations at Dayinsure which conducted the analysis, said: “We recommend taking all the necessary precautions to protect the vehicle and its contents.  

“Especially in the winter, when it gets dark earlier, you should always ensure your van is parked safely and don’t leave it unattended. 

“Much like the regular vehicle maintenance checks that should be made like topping up your oil or checking your tyre pressure, making the time each day to ensure you van is parked safely and securely when not in use should be at the forefront of every van driver’s mind.”