UK vehicle thefts remain high, especially regarding high-value models.
That’s the conclusion drawn from recent official figures released by the Office of National Statistics (ONS).
Tea leafs
According to the latest data, the number of vehicles stolen in the UK remains at a record high.

Year-on-year crime statistics show that there were 129,159 vehicles stolen between April 2023 and March 2024.

While still at a 15-year high, they are actually very slightly lower than the 130,119 vehicle thefts for the same period in 2022-23.

The bigger picture

It is the vehicles themselves that are the most appealing to the criminals.

Incidents of stolen items from inside vehicles fell by 12%, year-on-year.

However, this could be because minor thefts are less likely to be reported to police by the public.

This is because of the time, effort and inconvenience of registering a theft.

What is more, the lack of police resources generally means there are very few successes in retrieving goods and catching the criminals, leading the victims to ask the question: ‘Is there any point in reporting them?’.

Government figures show that the vast majority of car thieves avoid any criminal charges for their actions.

Data from the Home Office showed that just 2.12% of all vehicles stolen from July 2022 to June 2023 were arrested and charged by police.

Last year, 193,023 crimes were reported to police involving items being taken from vehicles after they had been broken into.

This is down from the previous year’s figure of  218,431.

Bits and pieces

Other figures analysed from the ONS data show a 2% rise in vehicle interference or tampering with a motor vehicle.

This is where vehicle parts, such as catalytic converters, number plates, and badges, are stolen.

In 2022-23, there were 52,268 reported incidents, increasing to 53,369 this year.

Cutting edge

The use of modern technology to steal vehicles has risen in line with the number of modern vehicles using hi-tech, keyless security systems.

These are often hacked using sophisticated tech, blocking detection and immobilisers and allowing criminals to easily enter and start the engine.

As quickly as new security measures are designed and implemented, the criminal seems close behind.

Some use tracking devices to target specific drivers, while others use car hacking for vehicles with keyless systems.

Analysis of the data showed that the areas where you are most likely to see a conviction are the City of London (9.38%), Norfolk (7.68%), Suffolk (5.31%), Surrey (5.2%), and North Wales (5.11%).

The least likely places where a car thief will be convicted are Warwickshire (0.94%), Bedfordshire (1.21%), Essex (1.31%), Wiltshire (1.54%), and Hampshire (1.62%).

Watch out

A Freedom of Information (FOI) request sent to 36 police forces by the RAC in November last year provided a map of car crime.

Cleveland, in the North East of England, had the highest ratio of 12.67 stolen vehicles for every 1,000 registered cars in 2022.

Surprisingly, the London Metropolitan area only came in second place, with 11.51 thefts for every 1,000 registered cars.

South Yorkshire was third, with a theft ratio of 10.67 for every 1,000 registered cars.

Top 10 car theft hotspots

  1. Cleveland – 12.67
  2. London Metropolitan – 11.51
  3. South Yorkshire – 10.67
  4. Northumbria – 10.31
  5. Bedfordshire – 6.37
  6. West Yorkshire – 6.32
  7. West Midlands – 5.14
  8. Essex – 4.72
  9. Nottinghamshire – 4.41
  10. Merseyside – 4.37

New government, more action

Following the news of the continuing high level of car thefts, RAC spokesperson Rod Dennis said: “After falling steadily during the 2010s, the last few years have seen an alarming rise in the number of recorded crimes where vehicles are stolen with an average of 356 being taken every day of the year.

“And when you consider that most car theft crimes go unsolved, it’s a pretty bleak picture. It’s a real cat-and-mouse situation between vehicle manufacturers and criminals, with carmakers ever tightening security, only for thieves to use increasingly using sophisticated tactics to find a way round their systems.

“We would like to see the new government take steps to tackle car crime by re-establishing the vehicle theft taskforce that was set up in 2019, or at least engaging heavily with police forces, manufacturers and the insurance industry to map out a way forward.”