The top ten most stolen vehicles of last year are:
1. Ford Transit2. Ford Fiesta
3. Vauxhall Astra
4. Vauxhall Corsa
5. Volkswagen Golf
6. BMW 3-Series
7. Ford Escort
8. Ford Focus
9. Ford Mondeo
10. Vauxhall Vectra
However, the list shouldn't make you panic. It's worth remembering that the majority of these vehicles would also appear in the top ten sellers list and thus make up the majority of vans and cars on our roads. According to Detective Chief Inspector Mark Hooper, “Due to the sheer number of these vehicles and the huge market for stolen parts, these cars are very popular with criminals [...and...] we are finding that vehicles registered in the late-1990s and early-2000s are among those most desired [...] The vehicles are stripped for parts, which are sold on the internet before the larger components are sold as scrap metal.”
Another remarkable statistic is that there is only a 51% chance of recovering a stolen vehicle.
AVCIS identified the following towns as the UK's car and van crime hotspots:
* Chislehurst (South-East London)
* Wingate (Durham)
* Redbridge (East London)
* Hatfield (Doncaster),
To avoid being the victim of motor theft, AVCIS advises motorists to:
* Offenders sometimes ‘fish’ keys through letterboxes and windows using the so called ‘hook and cane’ method so keep your keys out of sight, away from windows and letterboxes. Also ensure your spare keys are concealed
* Criminals will patrol housing estates to select cars within the district which they deem suitable to steal. If you think you are being followed or if you see a car acting suspiciously, take down the registration number and any details of the vehicle before reporting to your local police
* If you have a garage, use it to store your car whenever possible
