Vehicle thefts jump more than 50 per cent - these are the regions where you're most at risk

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Thefts of vehicles in Britain have soared by more than 50 per cent in the last four years, according to police data.

More than 150,000 vehicles were stolen in 2018-19, that is 10,000 more than the year before and nearly 55,000 (56 per cent) more than four years earlier, according to data analysed by RAC Insurance.

While the nationwide figures for England, Scotland and Wales rose 56 per cent, the data revealed some significant differences, with some police forces reporting a more than doubling of thefts between 2014-15 and 2018-19.

Of the 42 forces which responded to RAC Insurance’s Freedom of Information request, six saw a more than 100 per cent rise in thefts. The biggest jumps were in in Suffolk (up 172 per cent from 347 to 945 thefts), Surrey (up 133 per cent from 661 to 1,543 thefts) and the West Midlands (up 121 per cent from 4,695 to 10,372).

The biggest increase in terms of the number of vehicles stolen was seen in Kent, where 40,726 vehicles were taken in 2018-19, up 45 per cent from 28,176 in 2014-15.

Only three forces - Linc