Almost half of all car crime takes place in private driveways or outside houses, revealed a survey from car repair company Autoglass.
It found that break-ins where thieves take mobile phones, stereos, cash, credit cards and briefcases from vehicles has risen by 20% in the past year. The survey was conducted on vehicles which Autoglass itself repaired.
It said the number of break-ins where property was stolen rose from 342,000 to 415,000 over the past 12 months.
Autoglass said it dealt with an average of more than 300 incidents an hour in which vehicles were damaged but nothing was taken. Victims typically suffered a financial loss of £329.
Nigel Doggett, managing director of Autoglass, said motorists appeared to be taking their eye off car security. "They say they've lost faith that we can prevent or punish car crooks but their lack of concern coincides with rising numbers of attacks."
