Cambridgeshire Constabulary

Car crime in Cambridgeshire is isolated and sporadic, which reflects the rural nature of this fenland county.

The largest concentration of vehicle crime is found in Peterborough, with the PE1 postcode showing the biggest hotspot, with 275 offences per 10,000 registered vehicles. In fact, Peterborough rates among the highest in Cambridgeshire for car crime, holding seven of the region’s top 10 crime hotspots with a total of 1075 recorded incidents in 2011-2012.

The second worst area in CB5 is Cambridge with 168 crimes; it's worth noting that this figure is somewhat inflated due to the fact it houses the city’s car dealer district. Indeed, thousands of new and used cars are parked in CB5, which makes it a hotspot for vehicle crime, with opportunistic criminals looking to take advantage of the huge concentration of cars.

Theft from a motor vehicle accounts for 47 per cent of Cambridgeshire's crime, while criminal damage makes up 39 per cent of all offences. Just 13 per cent of incidents involved a car being stolen.

Being a rural area, Cambridgeshire has a lot of 4x4s, which partly explains why Mitsubishi is the most stolen make of vehicle, with 277 reported offences per 10,000 vehicles. Mercedes-Benz was the second most targeted by criminals, while Volvo also rates highly with 188 comparable offences. 

A police spokesman for Cambridgeshire said: “We take vehicle crime very seriously and are committed to catching those who commit such offences.

“Car thieves are often opportunistic, breaking into a vehicle if they see a mobile phone or laptop on show. An empty case or vacant sat nav holder can be enough to tempt a thief - even if nothing is taken the victim will be left with the bill to repair the damage.”

See also: Top 10 Cars Stolen to order / Top 10 Most Stolen Cars