Car crime is on the rise and now a fresh set of figures has been published revealing which areas of the country are being hit hardest.

According to the data, which has been obtained by Co-op Insurance, there has been a 35 per cent increase in car thefts since 2013.

With the rise in new technologies and more sophisticated methods of stealing cars it is no surprise that cars are back on the top of shopping lists for criminal gangs. Luxury cars may have high-end technological solutions allowing us to go keyless, but these solutions have been easily exploited, and there were reports last year that thieves had even set up WhatsApp groups to steal cars to order.

Co-op’s data also revealed that a quarter of UK adults would ignore the sound of a car alarm if they heard it in their neighbourhood - a trend which worries the CEO of Neighbourhood Watch, John Hayward-Cripps: “At Neighbourhood Watch we believe that building strong communities where neighbours look out for each other is key to crime prevention.

“It’s concerning that so many people would choose to ignore a car alarm when this, as well as other actions such as parking under a street light, can reduce the likelihood of being a victim of car crime. It’s times like these that communities need to stick together and look out for one another.”

The figures, which were published this week, reveal that Surrey, Glasgow and Dorset are the top three areas with the most car thefts, demonstrating that the problem is nationwide and not restricted to one area of the country.

“It’s really important that people take measures to protect their own vehicles against theft and look out for others,” said Co-op Insurance’s Nick Ansley.

“Taking simple precautions such as parking in well-lit areas, avoiding dark streets and not leaving items on display can help to prevent your vehicle being targeted.”

UK areas with the most motor thefts:

Surrey
Glasgow
Dorset
Bristol
North Yorkshire
East Riding of Yorkshire
Oxfordshire
Somerset
Buckinghamshire
Devon

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