How common are car thefts in my area?
Enter your postcode to see car crime rates in your area and how your address compares to the rest of the UK
Car Crime Hotspots
Do you live in a car crime hotspot?
Enter your postcode to see what the rate of car crime was in your area between 2021-2023 and how it compared to the rest of the UK.
| UK Rank | Postal Area Code | Postal Area | Crime rate per 1,000 quotes |
|---|
| UK Rank | Postal Area Code | Postal Area | Crime rate per 1,000 quotes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | IG9 | Buckhurst Hill | 53.40 |
| 2 | N10 | Muswell Hill | 52.84 |
| 3 | N21 | Winchmore Hill, Bush Hill, Grange Park | 52.18 |
| 4 | E18 | Woodford, South Woodford | 48.17 |
| 5 | IG4 | Redbridge | 48.13 |
| 6 | IG8 | Woodford Green, Woodford Bridge | 47.81 |
| 7 | B62 | Halesowen | 47.46 |
| 8 | B73 | Boldmere, New Oscott, Wylde Green | 46.93 |
| 9 | B72 | Sutton Coldfield Town Centre, Maney, Wylde Green | 46.16 |
| 10 | B30 | Bournville, Cotteridge, Stirchley | 45.58 |
| 11 | B17 | Harborne | 45.46 |
| 12 | B93 | Knowle, Dorridge | 45.11 |
| 13 | B94 | Olton, Solihull | 45.08 |
| 14 | RM11 | Hornchurch, Emerson Park, Ardleigh Green | 45.08 |
| 15 | N14 | Southgate, Oakwood, Arnos Grove | 44.21 |
| 16 | RM2 | Gidea Park, Heath Park | 43.65 |
| 17 | B37 | Chelmsley Wood, Marston Green, Kingshurst, Fordbridge | 43.62 |
| 18 | NW3 | Hampstead, Chalk Farm, Primrose Hill, Swiss Cottage, Belsize Park, Gospel Oak, Frognal, Childs Hill | 43.41 |
| 19 | SW3 | Chelsea, Brompton, Knightsbridge | 43.37 |
| 20 | RM4 | Havering-atte-Bower, Abridge, Stapleford Abbotts, Noak Hill, Navestock, Stapleford Tawney, Stapleford Aerodrome | 41.99 |
How do I use the car crime hotspots tool?
Simply enter your postcode and click on the ‘see my results’ button to find what the rate of car crime was in your area between 2021 and 2023, and how it compared to the rest of the UK.
The results are based on our analysis of more than seven million car insurance quotes from MoneySuperMarket customers.
Which UK postcodes have the most car crime claims?
Gloucester’s GL13 postcode district, which covers the town of Berkeley, is the UK’s car crime hotspot with 86.29 claims per 1,000 quotes, according to our research.
The majority (97%) of claims in GL13 were for the theft of a vehicle.
With 80.49 claims per 1,000 quotes, the SY9 post district in Shropshire had the second-highest proportion of car insurance claims for car theft, theft of contents from a vehicle and vandalism.
London’s WC1E, an area that covers Camden and includes University College London, came in third with 72.09 claims for car crime per 1,000 quotes.
Which UK postcodes have the fewest car crime claims?
With a vehicle crime rate of 0.22 per 1,000 quotes, the residents of the LD7 postcode district that covers the Knighton area on the border of Wales and England, as well as those in Scotland with the postcode AB38 (Aberlour) have the UK’s lowest car crime rates.
The LD2 post district covering Builth Wells had just 0.23 crime related claims per 1,000, while Northern Ireland’s BT54 (Ballycastle, Ballintoy, Ballypatrick, Ballyvoy, Cape Castle, Glenshesk, Maghercashel, Maghernahar, Moyarget, Torr, Rathlin Island) had the third fewest with 0.24 per 1,000.
Where are cars most likely to be stolen?
Residents of the GL13 postcode district, which covers the Berkeley area in Gloucestershire, are the most at risk of having their car stolen, with 83.78 theft claims for every 1,000 quotes, according to MoneySuperMarket data.
The West Midlands postal district of B49 (Alcester) had the second highest rate of car theft, with 53.96 claims per 1,000, while the Milton Keynes postcode of MK1 (Denbigh, Mount Farm) came third with a rate of 49.18 per 1,000.
Where are belongings most likely to be stolen from a vehicle?
The LL25 postcode district in North Wales (Dolwyddelan) had the highest claims rate for belongings stolen from a vehicle, with 41.36 per 1,000 quotes.
In second place was SW1W in London (Belgravia) with 33.79 claims per 1,000 quotes, while the Scottish post district of PH13 came in third with a contents theft rate of 25.96 per 1,000.
Where are cars most likely to be damaged or vandalised?
Shropshire’s SY9 postcode (Bishops Castle) had the UK’s highest proportion of claims for damage and vandalism, as well as ranking second for total crime related car insurance claims.
For every 1,000 quotes run by people living in the SY9 area, 65.2 said they had made a claim for vandalism in the last five years.
With another appearance was London’s WC1E whose vandalism rate of 49.08 per 1,000 put it in second place, while the nearby WC1A post district finished third with 42.11 vandalism claims per 1,000 quotes.
Does my car insurance cover vehicle theft?
Whether car theft is covered by your insurance will depend on the type of cover you have:
Third-party only: If you have the most basic insurance, you won’t be covered
Third-party, fire and theft and fully comprehensive: You should be covered in most circumstances. Exceptions include leaving the car unlocked or unsecured
In the event your car is recovered but is a write-off, your insurer will only pay out the market value of the vehicle. So, if your car is on a finance agreement, you might want to consider GAP insurance which will bridge the difference between what you paid for your car and its current value.
What should I do if my car is stolen?
If your car is stolen, you should:
Report it to the police
Call 101 and ask the operator to transfer you to your local station. Remember to have your registration number and the make, model and colour of your car to hand. The police will inform the DVLA and give you a crime reference number which you’ll need to give to your insurance provider.
Call your insurer
Armed with your car insurance policy number and crime reference number, call your insurer to start the insurance claim process.
Contact the DVLA
Once your claim is finalised and your insurance provider has paid out, you’ll have to contact the DVLA. At this point you no longer own the car because it belongs to the insurance company. The DVLA will update their records and refund any remaining vehicle tax.
How can I prevent my car being stolen?
Check locks
Make sure your car is locked, and the windows and sunroof (if you have one) are fully closed. With newer vehicles, thieves might also look to see if your door mirrors are folded or not as this could indicate your car is unlocked.
Keep keys safe
Keep both your main and spare keys out of sight and far from your car and front door. If your car has keyless entry, consider investing in a signal-blocking pouch, like a Faraday Bag.
Fit a car alarm
If your vehicle doesn’t already have one, consider adding a car alarm or immobiliser. Not only will this help deter thieves, but it could also lower your car insurance premium. A steering wheel lock can also be a good visual deterrent.
Install a tracker
Fit your car with a Thatcham-approved tracker. Choose one that uses VHF technology instead of GPS, which thieves can block. While a tracker may not prevent theft, it increases the odds of police recovering your vehicle.
Improve your home security
Install security lighting, CCTV, or a video doorbell at home. If you're parking away from home, choose a well-lit spot with surveillance cameras to keep your car in clear view.
How did we work out car crime hotspots?
We analysed MoneySuperMarket car insurance quote data from the start of 2021 to the end of 2023.
Postcode areas with fewer than 300 enquiries (an average of 100 a year), or those with missing data, were excluded from the study, resulting in an analysis of 2,667 UK postcode districts.
How can I compare car insurance?
The easiest way to find the best deal on car insurance is to use MoneySuperMarket to compare providers. All you do is provide us with a little bit of information about yourself, your car and your situation, and we will show you a range of deals from hundreds of insurance providers.
Author
Sarah Tooze
Car & Van Insurance Expert
Sarah Tooze has been a motoring journalist for more than 15 years, specialising in company cars and vans, and has won a number of awards during her career, including the Newspress ‘Automotive...
Reviewer
Beth Leslie
Senior Insurance Content Editor
Beth is an experienced writer and editor who specialises in financial and economic content. She is currently the Senior Insurance Content Editor for MoneySuperMarket. Beth is passionate about making...
