New data has revealed the UK locations where a car is most and least likely to be stolen, with a huge difference recorded depending on area.
Topping the list for vehicle theft is Romford in East London, according to research from insurance comparison site MoneySupermarket, where 19.87 vehicles were reported stolen per 1,000 insurance enquiries made.
London locations dominated the list of car theft hotspots, with neighbouring Ilford recording 17.52 vehicles stolen per 1,000 enquiries. This was followed by Bromley in South East London (17.00) and Enfield in North London (16.91). Birmingham was the only location outside of London to be named in the top five, with 14.93.
Showing the staggering difference between the likelihood of a vehicle being stolen depending on location, Inverness in the north of Scotland had a car theft rate of just 0.08, followed by Dumfries and Galloway (0.36) and Llandrindod Wells in Wales (0.46).
When looking at regions as a whole, London was the least safe for car owners, with a theft rate of 11.55. Meanwhile Northern Ireland was the safest, with just 1.87 cars stolen per 1,000 enquiries.
Sara Newell, car insurance expert at MoneySupermarket, said: “One thing that insurers consider when calculating your premium is your location, and it can impact the cost of your cover.
“Car insurance will help minimise the financial impact of theft, so when your policy is up for renewal compare prices to make sure you’re getting the best deal for your policy – you could save up to £330.”
All data is taken from the 16.04m car insurance enquiries made on MoneySupermarket between September 2021 and August 2022.