Ilford and Romford top the league for car thefts, according to a new survey.

The Essex towns saw 13.5 and 13 thefts per 1,000 vehicles respectively, followed by Birmingham (9.5); Halifax (8.6); Liverpool (8.2); Southend - another Essex town (8.1); and east London (7.2), which shared the same theft rate as Kent, Bradford and Stockport.

The safest places to keep a car were Lerwick on the Shetland Islands; Jersey; and Guernsey - none of which had any reported car thefts. Within England, Truro in Cornwall and Exeter in Devon were the safest places to own a car.

5m car insurance enquiries were scrutinised by Moneysupermarket, covering the 12 months to June this year.

Scotland was the safest of the UK’s home countries to own a car, with Kirkwall, Dumfries, Inverness and Perth each enjoying extremely low rates of theft.

Those aged under 19 were the least likely to have their cars stolen, due to their vehicles’ perceived lack of appeal, while those aged 30-49 were far more likely to have their vehicles stolen.

The survey's publishers urged car owners to make sure they have the right insurance, but also to take practical steps to keep their vehicles safe.

Those with keyless entry systems were advised to improve security with "old-school" devices such as steering locks.

Keeping keys away from the front door was also advised, since it makes car theft easy for keen-eyed criminals.

 

Why did Essex top the list?

Essex is home to a large number of high-end cars, a fact made clear by the TV show The Only Way Is Essex. Gangs are known to operate in the county, targeting luxury models.