The Daily Observer London Desk: Reporter- Victoria Smith
Convicted thieves have revealed the easiest things to steal from cars.
The value of thefts from cars in the past two years is £109million, with the average victim losing possessions worth £618.
Last year alone there was the equivalent of 540 thefts a day from cars.
Number plates, catalytic converters, a vehicle’s electronic components, bike racks and roof boxes are the five most common things stolen from cars.
Number plates, catalytic converters, a vehicle’s electronic components, bike racks and roof boxes are the five most common things stolen from cars
London has the highest rate of theft from cars per 1,000 population in the last two years at 14.39.
Close behind was the West Midlands with 10.83 and Greater Manchester with 9.41.
Avon and Somerset saw the largest annual increase, with reports up 48 per cent.
Warwickshire (43 per cent) and Northumbria (34 per cent) saw the second and third biggest increases respectively.
The total value of possessions stolen from vehicles in 2022 was more than £61million. This is a 27 per cent increase from the £48million of possessions stolen in 2021.
Convicted thieves told a study by Direct Line and the University of Huddersfield about their experiences stealing from cars.
One said: ‘You used to be able to make a good few hundred pounds a day doing it. Especially, when I was younger you used to have your car stereos with the pop-off fronts. We used to be able to get between £60 and £80 for them a time.
‘Then they went out of fashion and then it became satnavs. Same again, £60, £80 for them when they first came out. All that’s either built in or on your mobile phone.’
Another added: ‘People don’t learn. They must be stupid. I don’t get it myself. It amazes me, but I know one lad who got £10,000 out of a car boot in a safe, went back two nights later and got another £20,000 out of the boot!
London has the highest rate of theft from cars per 1,000 population in the last two years at 14.39
‘My mates have had £8,000, £9,000. I’ve had £2,000 and £3,000 out of cars, and they’ve all been open.’
A third said it was mainly about seeing the opportunity. They said: ‘Theft from vehicles happens probably just as much as people taking vehicles.
‘That’s only if you can see something in the car through the windows – a laptop, an electrical item.’
Another said they always looked out for unlocked cars.
They said: ‘I can generally see if a car’s open just by looking at it, i.e., are the wing mirrors out?
‘Can I see a red flashing light on in the car? A car that’s open to me stands out like a Christmas tree.’
Lorraine Price, the head of motor insurance at Direct Line, said: ‘Having belongings stolen from your car can be incredibly distressing and inconvenient for the victim.
‘While car owners shouldn’t have to take significant precautions to protect their vehicles, there are steps motorists can take to help reduce their risk of being targeted.’
She added: ‘Given how frequent the theft of items from vehicles is, car owners should, where possible, avoid leaving valuables in their vehicles and ensure that they understand what is covered on their motor insurance policy if this is unavoidable.’
Earlier this year, a shocking video captured the moment brazen thieves stole a catalytic converter from an NHS worker’s car in affluent Dulwich Village for the second time in six months.
An NHS worker from Dulwich Village, southeast London, caught the three thieves on video as they stole the catalytic converter from her car on Thursday around 8.30pm after putting her children to bed.
The woman, who requested to remain anonymous, became aware of the thieves when she heard a loud noise from outside.
The video showed the thieves using a car jack to access the catalytic converter from underneath as a loud grinding noise can be heard across the street.
The woman said she ‘flung’ the front door open and was met with three men who wore all-black and whose faces were covered with balaclavas.
The video captures the moment thieves are caught stealing a catalytic converter from an NHS worker’s car in Dulwich Village for the second time in six months
She tried to scare the thieves away by shouting at them, however, they were unfazed and continued to work on the car.
She said: ‘I thought that they might get scared when someone saw them but they just carried on. One of them was high-fiving their mates.’
The woman said that her husband chased the thieves and ran down the street after them in an attempt to catch them and identify their vehicle.
A spokesperson for the Metropolitan Police said: ‘Police were called at 8.30pm on February 2, to a report of a theft in SE21. Officers attended and it was reported that a catalytic converter had been stolen from a car that was parked outside a house.
‘Officers took a description of the suspects and carried out a search of the area, however, no suspects were identified. They await CCTV from a nearby property.
‘Anyone who saw anything suspicious in the area is asked to call 101 quoting CAD 6937/02Feb.
‘Information can also be shared anonymously with the independent charity Crimestoppers by calling 0800 555 111.’
