Yahoo News This is the type of car that gets stolen the most often in the UK
Two-thirds of local UK authorities are experiencing a rise in car thefts, new research shows - with the study also revealing the make of car most likely to be targeted by thieves.
The new report, conducted by Car Parts 4 Less via Freedom of Information requests, has revealed the areas with the highest rates of car theft.
According to the research, Ford Fiesta owners are most at risk from becoming victims.
One in seven - or 12 per cent - of thefts reported were Fiestas, quickly followed by Ford Transits (10 percent).
Ford tops the list of most stolen brands with almost half (47 percent) of car thefts reported.
Mercedes comes in second with 19 percent while other car makes likely to be targeted by thieves include BMW (18 percent) and Vauxhall (10 percent).
The London Borough of Enfield is the number one town for thefts, with 1,800 reports in 2018 alone.
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Leeds came in second with 1,452 reports filed, while Thurrock had 1,316 thefts last year.
They were followed by Nottingham (696) and Middlesbrough, Cleveland (372).
In terms of regions, London’s Metropolitan Police reported a staggering 31,738 thefts.
London was followed by West Yorkshire Police (3,861), Essex Police (3,090), Nottinghamshire Police (2,316) and Leicester Police.
Meanwhile, some local authorities saw a decrease in cars stolen in 2018 compared to the previous year.
South Yorkshire experienced the biggest drop in car thefts (58% percent), followed by Merseyside (55 percent), Edinburgh (43 percent), Dumfries and Galloway (26 percent). Car thefts in Highlands and Islands fell by 22%.
According to the Association of British Insurers (ABI), a new insurance claim is made every six minutes due to car thefts in the UK.
