North Yorkshire is among the safest place in the UK when it comes to car theft, figures show.

The county has ranked third for the lowest rate of vehicle theft in England and Wales. Only Cumbria and Dyfed-Powys ranked higher.

1,433 cars were stolen in North Yorkshire in 2021, which equates to just 1.7 thefts per 1,000 households.

The study, conducted by  A-Plan Insurance, was carried out by assessing Home Office data of vehicle thefts in each Police Force Area and determining the rate according to the number of thefts per household. 

London ranked bottom with 100,185 cars stolen in 2021, which is the equivalent of 11.1 vehicle thefts per 1,000 households.

The West Midlands comes second for its vehicle crime rate, with 10.4 vehicle thefts per thousand households (30,608 cars stolen in 2021), while Greater Manchester had nine cars stolen per thousand households (25,495 vehicle thefts), making it the third most dangerous place to own a car. 

Commenting on the findings, a spokesperson for  A-Plan Insurance said:

“Theft is one of the main concerns for drivers, especially if you live in an area like London or the West Midlands, where there’s a higher risk of your vehicle being stolen than there is in somewhere like Dyfed-Powys and Cumbria.

“It’s interesting to see that some of the places with the highest vehicle crime rates are improving, though, and drivers can rest easier by making sure they have adequate insurance cover for their vehicles to protect them from theft and other risks.”

Read more local stories from Your Harrogate here.