London has been identified as the UK’s van theft capital, with October emerging as a peak month for such crimes, according to new research.
A Freedom of Information (FOI) request sent to police forces nationwide revealed that 14,529 incidents were recorded in London last year alone, equating to 40 vans being targeted each day in the capital. Most of these incidents were thefts from vans (11,532), while 2997 cases involved stolen vans.
Of the vans stolen, more than half (1604) were not recovered, 923 were returned intact, and 470 were found damaged.
Of the 25 police authorities that responded to the FOI request, West Yorkshire ranked as the second-highest region for van thefts, with 902 vans stolen and 1071 thefts from vans in 2023, bringing the total to just under 2000 van-related crimes. Essex took third place, recording 1882 van-related offences last year. Here, thefts from vans (1476) far outnumbered thefts of vans (406).
The Ford Transit was the most targeted make and model by van thieves across the UK, as highlighted by the FOI findings.
UK Van theft/break-in hotspots
1. Metropolitan Police (London) - 14,529
2. West Yorkshire Police - 1,973
3. Essex Police - 1,882
4. Leicestershire Constabulary - 1,237
5. Avon and Somerset - 876
6. South Wales Police - 751
7. Nottinghamshire Police - 746
8. Northamptonshire Police - 553
9. South Yorkshire Police - 533
10. Humberside Police - 336
11. Surrey Police - 327
12. Hertfordshire Constabulary - 262
13. Bedfordshire Police - 242
14. Lincolnshire Police - 228
15. North Yorkshire Police - 208
UK regions with lowest number of van break-ins/thefts
1. Dorset Police - 40
2. Devon and Cornwall Constabulary - 40
3. North Wales Police - 66
4. Derbyshire Constabulary - 94
5. Cambridgeshire Constabulary - 105