Worst areas for unsolved car crimes revealed
Ministers are facing urgent calls for a dedicated police unit to tackle car theft across the country as new figures reveal more than three-quarters of cases went unsolved last year.
Analysis by the House of Commons library shows a staggering 121,825 motor vehicles were reported stolen in England and Wales in the 2024-25 financial year.
Of these, approximately 92,958 investigations were closed without a single suspect being identified, contributing to an average national unsolved rate of 76.3 percent.
The Metropolitan Police recorded the highest rate of unsolved cases, with 88.5 per cent of car thefts in the capital going undetected.
Other forces struggling significantly include British Transport Police (84.4 per cent), South Yorkshire (82.6 per cent), City of London (81.5 per cent), Sussex (81.1 per cent) and Warwickshire (80.7 per cent).
Analysis commissioned by the Liberal Democrats found that 35 of 44 forces in England and Wales had more than 60 per cent of car theft investigations concluded without an identified suspect.
In response to these worrying figures, the Liberal Democrats are advocating the creation of a specialist team within the National Crime Agency.
The unit will use data from automatic number plate recognition (ANPR) cameras, insurance records, police intelligence and border control to specifically target organized car crime networks.
Liberal Democrat home affairs spokesman Max Wilkinson said: “Victims of crime are repeatedly left without the support they need, it is a disgrace and communities deserve so much better.
“The previous Conservative government betrayed our communities with years of self-defeating cuts to our police forces – and now the current Labor Government must not turn a blind eye to this epidemic. Enough is enough.”
“This is why the Liberal Democrats are calling for a crackdown on car theft and for the organized gangs and criminals who have long evaded it to finally be caught.”
However, the Home Office highlighted a 12 per cent reduction in vehicle crime and a 7 per cent drop in vehicle theft in the year to June 2025.
They also noted the new law banning electronic devices used to bypass vehicle security; Criminals face up to five years in prison for using these devices.
A Home Office spokesman commented: “Vehicle theft has a devastating impact on individuals, families, businesses and the wider industry. For too long, not enough has been done to prevent these crimes or bring those responsible to justice.
“This Government and the police are taking decisive action to change this, from introducing new laws to ban electronic devices used to steal vehicles, to training police officers on the methods used to steal vehicles, and working with industry to fix vulnerabilities in vehicles.”
