Hillingdon among boroughs to see sharp rise in car thefts

KENSINGTON and Chelsea is a hotbed for car thieves, with one of the highest rates of car robbery in the whole of England and Wales, according to new figures.

An analysis of police crime data by The Gazette has revealed there were a total of 22 cases of aggravated vehicle theft in the borough in the 12 months to June this year.

That’s an increase of nearly 60% from the year before, when 14 incidents recorded in the area.

When compared to the total number of vehicles registered in the borough, it is the equivalent of one in every 2,159 vehicles being stolen over the course of the year.

The figure is one of the highest rates of car theft out of anywhere in England and Wales, behind the likes of other London boroughs such as Tower Hamlets and Islington, and big cities including Manchester.

In comparison, across the two countries only about one in every 5,770 vehicles were stolen.

Brent and Hammersmith and Fulham were also both some of the worst areas in England and Wales, for example, with 38 and 16 vehicle robberies respectively.

Hillingdon and Hounslow both saw a sharp rise in the number of car thefts between 2014/15 and 2015/16.

In Hillingdon, 21 thefts jumped to 35 the following year, while in Hounslow 18 increased to 35. Meanwhile, the rate of car thefts in Harrow was below average.

The 14 vehicles that were taken over the 12 months equates to just one in every 7,879 vehicles in the area.

The Metropolitan Police declined to comment on the figures, but a spokesman said: “A police investigation is conducted for every allegation of vehicle theft.”