Northampton is the fifth-worst place in the country outside of London for vehicle crimes

In 2018/19, 3,464 crimes were recorded in the town putting it in the UK's top 10 for highest rates of motor offences
Watch more of our videos on Shots! 
and live on Freeview channel 276
Visit Shots! now

Northampton has the fifth-highest rate of vehicle crimes in the country outside of London, according to the latest statistics.

From April 2018 to March 2019, 3,464 crimes were recorded in the town, which has 133,400 registered vehicles, equalling 25.97 offences per 1,000 motors.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Chief Inspector James Willis, of Northamptonshire Police's west local policing area, said: “We have been running an operation to reduce vehicle crime not only in Northampton, but across the whole local policing area.

A total of 3,464 vehicle crimes were recorded in Northampton in 2018/19. Photo: ShutterstockA total of 3,464 vehicle crimes were recorded in Northampton in 2018/19. Photo: Shutterstock
A total of 3,464 vehicle crimes were recorded in Northampton in 2018/19. Photo: Shutterstock

“Supported by members of our special constabulary, officers have been carrying out high visibility patrols in areas which have been identified as being at greater risk of vehicle crime to disrupt the activities of those committing crime within our communities.

“In addition to this, our neighbourhood policing teams have been delivering crime prevention advice at community events as well as holding regular police surgeries to provide residents the opportunity to speak to their local officer.

"Or people can visit the Northamptonshire Police website for crime prevention advice.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

“Vehicle crime is not unique to Northampton, and we are in constant liaison with colleagues in other forces across the region to share intelligence and identify crime patterns.

"An experienced investigator will be assigned to look into the pattern to give us the best possible chance of building a case against any suspects.”

Car finance company ChooseMyCar obtained the figures for 'theft from a vehicle', 'theft or unauthorised taking of a motor vehicle' and 'interfering with a motor vehicle' from police forces in the UK, minus Scotland, through Freedom of Information requests.

In Northampton, 435 motor thefts, 2,358 thefts from vehicles and 671 motor interference crimes were recorded for 2018/19.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Alison Jellicoe from ChooseMyCar said: “Surprisingly, it’s not all the usual cities that you would expect to see in this car crime hotspots list and some big towns like Luton have come out with the lowest number of vehicle thefts.

"Where you leave your car parked or overnight can have a big impact on whether it might be a target, but it’s interesting to see how much location around the UK has a part, with the latest police data showing some towns having more than double the offences than others."

Birmingham had the highest number of vehicle crimes in the UK with 14,758 offences, while Westminster had the highest rate at 78.20 offences per 1,000 vehicles.

Luton had the lowest total and rate of vehicles crimes at just 395 offences in 2018/19, equalling 4.15 offences per 1,000 motors.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Ms Jellicoe said: "Owning and leaving a vehicle unattended is always a risk, but that’s not to say you should avoid these cities altogether, which especially might be impossible for residents here.

"Instead it is best to follow good practice for leaving no valuables in your car, making sure it is locked and in a well-lit place.”

The full top 10 for the highest rate of vehicle crimes in the UK outside London:

1. Manchester - 50.66 crimes per 1,000 vehicles

2. Nottingham - 29.51

3. Bradford - 27.59

4. Wolverhampton - 27.07

5. Northampton - 25.97

6. Liverpool - 25.95

7. Bolton - 24.86

8. Coventry - 22.24

9. Kingston upon Hull - 22.13

10. Leicester - 21.74