The number of motor vehicle thefts in Suffolk have more than doubled in the last four years, it has emerged.

East Anglian Daily Times: Suffolk police and crime commissioner Tim Passmore urged people to be careful when leaving their vehicles Picture: SARAH LUCY BROWNSuffolk police and crime commissioner Tim Passmore urged people to be careful when leaving their vehicles Picture: SARAH LUCY BROWN (Image: Archant)

According to Suffolk Constabulary data obtained by RAC Insurance, the number of vehicle thefts in the county soared to 945 for the period between April 1, 2018 and March 31, 2019.

In comparison, the number of thefts recorded for the same period between 2014 and 2015 was just 347 - signifying an increase of a huge 172% in just four years.

All types of motor vehicles - including cars, vans and motorcycles - were included in the study.

Under the Freedom of Information Act, RAC Insurance obtained data from all but three of police forces in Great Britain and discovered the number of vehicle thefts nationwide had risen by 56%.

Suffolk was the county that experienced the greatest leap in the number of vehicle thefts between the two time periods in the study, ahead of Surrey and the West Midlands.

Overall, some 152,541 vehicles were stolen in Great Britain between 2018 and 2019, compared with 97,609 just four years prior.

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The Metropolitan Police reported the highest number of vehicle thefts in the study, with a staggering 30,773 incidents.

Tim Passmore, Suffolk’s police and crime commissioner, said the number of motor vehicle thefts in the county remain low when compared to other regions, despite the sharp rise.

He said: “Clearly any rise in thefts is a concern. It’s something that the constabulary is aware of and why we’re keen to recruit more police officers.

“Vehicle thefts are something we take very seriously.

“Please be careful when you leave your cars unattended and make it more difficult for thieves.”

Simon Williams, spokesman for RAC Insurance, added: “These figures paint a rather disturbing picture. Vehicle thefts are on the rise almost everywhere, and in some parts of the country numbers are rocketing.

“It’s also not the case that the rises in crime are confined to a few larger urban areas, with many police forces covering more rural areas also seeing big increases.

“It’s concerning that so many more vehicles are being stolen than just a few years ago.”

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