THURROCK is bucking a national trend and showing an increase in car crimes.

A newly released survey from insurance comparison platform Quotezone has revealed that vehicle theft fell 13.6 per cent from 2020 to 2021 according to figures from more than 40 police forces across England, Wales and Northern Ireland.

This translates to 343,640 reported thefts from or of a vehicle in 2020, which dropped to 296,910 last year.

Quotezone's survey was broken down into parliamentary constituencies and most showed a drop.

But one of the exceptions is Thurrock. In the west of the borough the number of thefts from, or of, a vehicle rose from 1,424 in 2020 to 1,561 last year and in the South Basildon and east Thurrock constituency numbers were up from 811 to 854.

Greg Wilson, founder of Quotezone.co.uk advises motorists can take action to reduce being a victim of vehicle theft: "Parking in carports, garages or even on a driveway is often an effective way to deter opportunistic thieves and insurers often offer lower premiums as they recognise the lower risk. In fact, our data suggests drivers can save an average of £140 a year by parking on a driveway compared to a road.

"Nevertheless, some areas have a persistent issue of vehicle theft and motorists should take precautions wherever possible not to make their cars and vans a target by parking in well-lit areas and hiding valuables out of sight."