Cars Romford tops the list as area having the most vehicles stolen

© Provided by This Is Money MailOnline logo

Romford has the highest rate of reported car thefts in the UK for a second year running, new research has revealed.

The 'RM' postcode has a car theft rate of 16.38 per 1,000 insurance enquiries in 2021 - an increase from 15.74 in 2020, according to data from Money Super Market and enough to top all other areas in the country.

Ilford and Barking were a close second with a rate of 15.71, again for a second consecutive year as thieves continue to target the same regions.

© Provided by This Is Money (

Meanwhile, Dumfries and Galloway, located in Scotland's Western Southern Uplands, has the lowest rate of reported car thefts at 0.37 per 1,000 capita.

Britain's 'Crash for Cash' scam capitals revealed: Birmingham and Bradford are hotspots for bogus injury claims from choreographed road accidents

The Insurance Fraud Bureau says single gangs can be behind thousands of orchestrated collisions in some areas, with the combined value running into millions of pounds. © Provided by This Is Money ( The hotspots analysis confirms Birmingham remains the most prevalent area in the UK for the dangerous scam, accounting for seven of the 30 worst hit postcodes.It is followed by Bradford (also with seven postcodes in the top 30), Manchester, London and Luton, which are all seeing an increase in claims being made by fraudsters who purposely force drivers into crashes.The IFB's analysis of 2.

Money Super Market analysed millions of car insurance enquiries made on its site between 20 July 2020 and 20 July 2021 to identify the areas with the highest and lowest rates of reported car theft claims within a five-year period.

It found that Birmingham was the area with the third highest theft rate with 13.33 claims per 1,000 closely followed by North London with a rate of 12.61.

Enfield, Dudley and South West London also all made the list.

Meanwhile, Scottish locations dominate the ten safest areas for car theft with Kirkwall, Perth, Paisley and Galashiels all taking top positions.

Other areas with the lowest theft rate include the Isle of Man with a rate of 0.39 claims per 1,000 and Llandrindod Wells with a rate of 0.79.

South West towns Plymouth and Exeter also made the list.

Sadiq Khan confirms he will expand the Ultra Low Emission Zone

Newly re-elected Mayor of London Sadiq Khan will make the Ultra Low Emission Zone 18 times larger than it is currently. Owners of older, more-polluting vehicles need to pay a £12.50 daily fee.The newly re-elected Mayor of London will make the zone 18 times larger than it is currently.

When it comes to age, the research found drivers aged 30 to 39 are the most likely to report their car as stolen with a theft rate of 8.78 per 1,000 people whilst those aged 20 to 24 years face the least risk at a rate of 4.09.

This compares to 2020, where 40 to 49 year olds were most likely to face higher risk of car theft with a rate of 8.33.

© Provided by This Is Money (

The Ford Fiesta was the vehicle most targeted by thieves in 2020 with 3,392 reported cases, according to DVLA statistics, followed by the Land Rover Range Rover with 2,881 cases then the Volkswagen Golf at 1,975 cases.

Thefts of electric car charging cables could be next wave of car crime

A number of reports have suggested that there has been a spike in cases of EV drivers having cables pinched that are used to plug into a wallbox, public charger or the mains.A number of reports have suggested that there has already been a spike in cases of EV drivers having their charging cables pinched - the leads used to plug into a wallbox, public device or the mains to replenish the batteries in their cars.

Praksha Patel-Shah, car insurance expert at Money Super Market, said: 'Not only can where you live and park your car increase the likelihood of you experiencing car theft, but criminals are now becoming more inventive and sophisticated when it comes to modern vehicles, so extra preventions may be necessary.

'Our research shows that urban, built-up areas have the highest incidences of car theft, while more rural, remote areas tend to record fewer instances.

'Insurers do consider your location when providing you with a quote, so if you live in an area with a high theft rate, you might see this reflected in higher premiums.

'Regardless of your location, shopping around for a new car insurance policy can help reduce your costs significantly – in just a matter of minutes you could save up to £236 a year.'

Previous research conducted last month found that nine of the top ten locations for car theft are in the capital including the exclusive borough of Kensington and Chelsea as well as Ealing and Wandsworth, according to data collated by Co-Op Insurance.

Dominic Cooper has fifth car stolen in a year

Mamma Mia actor Dominic Cooper has been left feeling 'Here We Go Again' after having his fifth car stolen in 12 months. The Brit star, 43, revealed on Sunday that his prized Jaguar XF had been 'pinched' from the driveway of his North London home.Appealing for information over its whereabouts on his Instagram page alongside a picture of the black motor, Dominic wrote: 'Happy Father's Day. This has just been pinched. Can't be far. If you're in North London please keep an eye out. Thank you ever so much.

It found that Preston was the only postcode in the north with car crime stats high enough to be placed within the top 20, sitting at number 13 in the list.

Meanwhile, correlating with the research conducted by Money Super Market, Moray in Scotland was found to have the least frequency of vehicle theft claims in four years.