Car thefts increase by almost 50 per cent in five years

Latest figures equate to one vehicle being stolen every five minutes, or 300 every day

Car thefts increase by almost 50 per cent in five years
Image: Bigstock.

The number of vehicles stolen in the UK has increased by almost half over the last five years, Home Office statistics show.

Data shows 75,308 vehicles were reported stolen to police in the 2013-14 financial year, a figure that increased to 111,999 in 2017-18.

RAC Insurance director Mark Godfrey said: “These figures show a very alarming 49 per cent increase in vehicle thefts in just five years.

“They also paint a very depressing picture of a society where it is all too easy for gangs of thieves to break in and steal vehicles, and where there are fewer police officers to catch them and bring them to justice.”

The rise has been linked to potential vulnerabilities in some vehicle security systems and falling police officer numbers.

Related: Owners of new cars unaware of major vehicle hacking threats, experts say

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