Essex Police

Essex is one of the most diverse entries in the HonestJohn.co.uk Car Crime Census, with its borders starting in the Metropolis of London in the south and stretching to the rural districts of East Anglia in the north.

South Essex shows the most car crime, with all of the London districts showing a hive of hotspots. The worst affected regions are in West Thurrock, with RM20 and RM19 postcodes recording a huge 581 and 477 car crimes per 10,000 registered vehicles. Romford also shows a large number of car crimes, and the heat map doesn’t diminish until you reach the outer limits of the M25.

However, away from London, there are still some significant areas of criminality, with Basildon and Southend-on-Sea both showing large hotspots for car crime. Like many regions in our census, theft from a motor vehicle accounts for roughly half of all offences, while cars being stolen account for 15 per cent of all incidents. Mercedes-Benz are most at risk, with 395 offences per 10,000 vehicles, while Fords were also targeted with 252 comparable crimes recorded.

The safest districts in Essex are in the rural north, with Frinton-on-Sea and Saffron Walden recording just 40 and 45 crimes per 10,000 cars. 

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