London has been revealed as the region with the largest number of reported vehicle thefts in 2022, according to new data.

More than a quarter of the total number of vehicles taken last year were stolen from the capital.

A Freedom of Information request to The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) by Claims Management & Adjusting (CMA) shows 26,117 vehicles were reported as being stolen in London.

Across the UK, the data shows 98,730 vehicle thefts took place. That means a vehicle is stolen somewhere in the UK about every five minutes, at a national average rate of 146.63 per 100,000 population.

Philip Swift, a former detective and now managing director of CMA, said: “The figures provide intriguing insights into the scale and pattern of the UK’s vehicle crime problem.

“When you consider that a high percentage of these will be expensive cars targeted by organised criminal gangs – vehicles that will very likely never be seen again – the pound note cost to insurers runs to billions, bringing pressure to increase premiums.”

The top four areas for reported vehicle thefts include some of the UK’s largest cities, however Strathclyde, which covers Glasgow, and Merseyside, which covers Liverpool, see proportionally very low levels of car crime.

Swift added: “Some relatively low population areas suffer terribly. Why did Essex report the fifth highest number of vehicle thefts – six times as many as Merseyside last year? My personal view is that some constabularies appear to take car crime more seriously than others – they have better strategies and put in more effort.

“A communication we received recently from Essex Police sheds unfortunate light on the situation. During our day-to-day insurance claims handling, we frequently ask police services for crime reports. We track the delivery times and Essex take by far the longest – sometimes more than a year.

“So, not only do Essex residents live with a high risk of having their cars nicked, they also face substantial delays in having their claims considered should it happen. What a double whammy!”

UK Top 10 Vehicle Theft Hotspots 2022:

	Constabulary	Vehicles Stolen	Population	Rate per 100,000
1	The Met (London)	26,117	8,982,000	290.77
2	West Midlands	12,223	2,928,000	417.45
3	Greater Manchester	7453	2,822,000	264.10
4	West Yorkshire	4621	2,325,000	198.75
5	Essex	3771	1,842,000	204.72
6	South Yorkshire	3257	1,405,000	231.81
7	Thames Valley	2466	2,340,000	105.38
8	Kent	2286	1,855,000	123.23
9	Hampshire	2056	1,376,000	149.41
10	Staffordshire	1893	874,190	216.54