Bedfords top the table of thieves' truck choice
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by Karen Miles • The rugged British Bedford is the truck thief's favourite vehicle, according to early results from the first definitive survey on the multi-millionpound UK stolen truck market.
Home Office civil servants are now collating results from the six-month research programme. These will be useful for the organised vehicle crime unit which is being set up within the National Criminal Intelligence Service (NCIS)—the NC1S gathers national and international data on all serious crime.
The six-strong NCIS team is being welcomed by the industry, which hopes it will improve the recovery rate of stolen vehicles as well as clamping down on organised gangs.
The Home Office research indicates that of 3,000 trucks stolen last year only 500 were traced. Although Bedfords were the thieves' favourite target in proportion to their numbers, Iveco Fords and Leyland Dafs are the most common targets through the large numbers on the road.
Home Office investigators report that half of all thefts are from operators' bases, often because vehicles are left unlocked in unfenced depots. And companies which have suffered one break-in are likely to be hit again as thieves make the most of pre-crime homework.
The research also indicates that 80% of thefts target the vehicle and its parts rather than the load.
The research was handled by the Home Office for the lorry theft sub-committee.