Van thefts in North Wales have doubled in 12 months but fallen by 75% in South East Wales.
CV theft across the UK has soared by 45% over the last four years with 30,000 vehicles stolen since 2015, according to research by Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles.
A total of 32,056 vans have been stolen over the last four years with almost 10,000 thefts recorded across the UK in the last year alone, according to official police statistics. The 2018/19 figures represent a year-on-year rise of 4% and a 45% increase since 2015/16.
Of the 9,371 van thefts reported in the past 12 months, the Metropolitan Police recorded more than half of the total with 4,777 commercial vehicles stolen in the area – a rise of 15%.
The biggest yearly increase in thefts was reported in Leicestershire with 10 times more vans stolen in 2018/19 than records for the year before.
North Wales doubled from 46 to 94.
Dyfed Powys were one of the forces unable to provide figures for this year, although 271 were stolen last year in the area and South Wales was unable to provide any figures.
Gwent actually reduced van thefts from 462 to 123.
