Car break-ins on the rise across the country

Staff writer
A thief breaks into a car during a mock-up by the Police Service of Northern Ireland in Belfast, Monday November 21, 2005. More than £1.6 million worth of property has been stolen from vehicles in Northern Ireland over the last year, police revealed today. Half of all thefts happened in residential areas, with around a quarter each in car parks and at the roadside. Audio equipment was the most regularly seized, followed by tools, car parts and handbags. See PA Story ULSTER Vehicle. PRESS ASSOCIATION Photo. Photo credit should read: Paul Faith/PA

Recent figures show that thefts from cars are increasing nationwide. The data, obtained via Freedom of Information requests by RAC Insurance, found that over half of the 42 police forces questioned had seen a rise in car break-ins in 2016 compared with 2015 – with the City of London seeing the biggest increase of 76 per cent.

However, with just 81 break-ins in 2016, the numbers don't contribute a great deal to the country as a whole – figures for which stand at 239,920 nationwide - a 4% increase over 2015's 231,222. More concerning would be the 41 per cent increase Northamptonshire Police observed – with thefts from vehicles increasing from 2,864 in 2015 to 4,043 in 2016.

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