Britain's most stolen car brand revealed with warning crisis 'spiralling out of control'
New statistics show that the number of thefts surged by a quarter over the last year
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New statistics have revealed the UK's most stolen car brand with the number of thefts surging by a quarter over the last year.
Data from the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) revealed that one in every hundred Land Rovers were stolen in the 12 months to March 2023.
Land Rovers were three times more likely to be stolen than a Mercedes-Benz which is the brand second most sought after by thieves.
The data, obtained through Freedom of Information requests by Confused.com, showed that of the 896,948 licensed Land Rovers in the country, 8,284 had been recorded as stolen.
The data found that black cars are most likely to disappear from the roads
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The Range Rover Velar R-Dyn is the most likely model to be stolen with two in every hundred being taken by thieves.
In second place is Mercedes-Benz, with 323 cars per 100,000 stolen, followed by Ford and BMW.
The data also found that black cars are most likely to disappear from the roads.
The West Midlands saw the most car thefts across the UK, with 251 out of every 100,000 cars taken, while Dyfed in Wales had the lowest rate of thefts, with just 22 per 100,000 vehicles were stolen.
The number of cars stolen jumped by 25 per cent last year, according to new analysis from AA Insurance.
The insurance provider warned that thieves are becoming more sophisticated in stealing cars through the use of hi-tech methods to break through enhanced vehicle security systems.
This includes key cloning or relay theft, which involves using transmitters to intercept the unique signal from cars and redirect it towards another transmitter that is then aimed towards the car.
Gus Park, managing director for AA Insurance Services, said that the figures were in danger of “spiralling out of control”, which would have a huge impact on society and insurance premiums.
Land Rovers were three times more likely to be stolen than a Mercedes-Benz
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He said: “The rise in vehicle and residential thefts are worrying for everyone and highlights that security of both car and home are vitally important.
“We urge police chiefs and crime commissioners across the country to create an action plan to crack the case.”
AA Insurance is advising drivers to not leave valuables in their cars and use visible deterrents such as a steering wheel lock.