Ford Fiesta stolen more often than any other car

A CAR was stolen almost twice a month in the worst streets for car theft in Leicestershire in 2018, according to Recent figures.

Data obtained by GoCompare from police forces across England and Wales showed that 1,971 cars were reported stolen to Leicestershire Police last year, a 15 per cent increase from 2017.

The force ranked fifth for the overall number of vehicle thefts out of the 17 constabularies analysed, recording the fifth highest growth rate.

This was, however, far less than in a Staffordshire high street where a car was stolen more than once a week during the same period.

GoCompare sent a freedom of information request to police forces around the UK in January 2019 to find out where the highest numbers of car thefts were reported. Figures on vehicle theft were provided by 17 out of the 43 police constabularies in England and Wales.

In the 17 constabularies analysed, Kent Police recorded the highest number of vehicle thefts in both 2017 and 2018. The area covered by Leicestershire Police, with a population of over one million, ranked fourth in 2017 and fifth in 2018.

The sharpest increase was recorded in Staffordshire.

Leicestershire Police saw the fifth highest increase, with 14.9 per cent more vehicle thefts reported in 2018 than in 2017.

With almost two vehicle thefts a month in 2018, Cornwall Road and Edgehill Road were the most affected streets in the area patrolled by Leicestershire Police. This is, however, much less than in a Staffordshire high street, where a car was stolen more than once a week during the same period.

Meanwhile, according to Leicestershire Police, the Ford Fiesta is the most wanted model in the area, with 74 vehicle thefts reported in 2018.

When the figures received from the 17 police forces are combined, the most frequently stolen model is the Ford Transit with 607 reported thefts, while the Ford Focus comes second with 530 thefts and the Ford Fiesta comes third with 508 thefts.