Popular car model named as one of most stolen as three nicked every day in Midlands

A popular car model has been named as one of the most stolen in the region and across the UK - as the company that makes it pledged to invest over a £1 million to try to combat thefts. Owners of Range Rovers and Land Rovers have been warned after the manufacturer appeared to acknowledge their vehicles were a target for thieves.

Land Rovers and/or Range Rovers regularly appear on lists of most stolen cars, while BirminghamLive has reported on numerous thefts over recent years as homeowners have been targeted by crooks for the high-end motors. Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) says it will now put cash into helping officers fight car crime and protect vehicle owners.

Land Rovers were third on the list of most stolen cars in the West Midlands 2023, behind Ford and Mercedes. A total of 1,119 were reported nicked - over three every day.

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There have been reports of insurance firms hiking Range/Land Rover premiums because they are considered a target. Tom McNeil, the former West Midlands Assistant Police and Crime Commissioner, questioned whether the cash pledge from JLR would make any difference.

Leading car manufacturers have been facing growing pressure from police chiefs to make their models harder to steal. Mr McNeil said: “While JLR’s offer of £1 million for policing is a generous gesture of goodwill, when we’re talking about car theft across the country, it is difficult to see how this could make a meaningful impact on reducing crime and ensuring fairer prices and safety for customers.

"JLR should perhaps consider investing more significantly in being a leader for car security to make their vehicles much harder to steal. As a leading international brand, they should focus on making their cars a fortress and lead the market in cutting edge security technology."

JLR said its money will be used to support several police forces “with additional dedicated resources to respond to vehicle thefts across the country”, reports the BBC. It added it was already sharing information with the police to help them find and recover vehicles.