UK’s Christmas car theft hotspots

New data has revealed the high number of vehicle thefts during the month of December, highlighting the importance of keeping your car safe this Christmas.

Figures obtained under the Freedom of Information Act by car leasing specialist, Leasing Options, show that there were almost 12,000 (11,703) reported instances of car theft during December in 2014, 2015 and 2016 across 10 UK constabularies.

Merseyside, Lancashire and Nottinghamshire recorded the highest number recorded car thefts at Christmas.

There were 3,133 recorded instances of car theft during the last three Decembers on Merseyside – almost double the other cities on the Top 10 list – and a 21% increase in car thefts compared to the other 11 months throughout the year.

Lancashire came second with 1,873 car theft cases and a 32% increase over the three-year period, and Nottinghamshire came third with 1,313 cases and a 12% increase.

Northamptonshire saw the biggest increase in car theft over the last three Decembers with a 50% rise from 304 recorded instances in December 2014 and 507 in December 2016.

“Car burglaries are a regular occurrence in cities at this time of year and many people are unknowingly putting their cars at risk by not taking the correct precautions,” said the BBC’s ‘Beat the burglar’ security expert Michael Fraser.

“Leaving cars in unsecure areas such as dark car parks or under trees with no lighting, makes it easier for thieves to enter the vehicle without the car owner knowing and thieves know they are less likely to get caught on security cameras.

“The common mistake, however, is leaving valuables on display. Many of us do not think to put items like our Satnavs away once we have finished using them, or clean the mark off the windscreen, but these can easily attract unwanted attention.

“Members of the public could also be unaware that any highly valuable technology inside your car won’t be covered on your car insurance unless you have made your insurance provider aware that you are leaving them in the car.”

There’s more advice from security expert Michael Fraser on the Leasing Options website