by Joe Jeffrey
Caravanners urged to implement security measures following huge spike in caravan crime
A huge rise in the popularity of caravanning is helping to drive a rise in crime rates police have said.
The National Vehicle Crime Intelligence Service (NaVCIS) has revealed that 614 caravans were reported stolen in 2015, up 20 per cent following a decrease in caravan crime the previous year.
The most noticeable spike in caravan thefts was in the South West, which saw six times the rate when compared to 2014. The North East and Home Counties also saw a stark rise.
Tim Booth, from NaVCIS said of the findings: “2015 saw a very buoyant market for the sales of touring caravans in the UK with high demand from consumers for this type of product.
“We’ve been working with the industry to help reduce caravan thefts year-on-year so to see an increase this year is significant.
“Many of the thefts were the result of offenders targeting caravan storage areas, not just the ‘informal farm storage areas’ but also the more robust secure storage sites,” continued Booth. “Similar offences also occurred across in mainland Europe where caravans were stolen from storage and were then immediately brought across to the UK to be sold on.”
Caravan owners are now being urged to carry out a number of simple security measures in order to prevent a further rise, including frequently checking their caravan throughout the winter months if it has been placed into storage to confirm it is still safe. Tracking devices and insurance policies should also be kept up to date.
“Whilst many newer caravans are equipped with tracking equipment, a high proportion of these require the owners to be aware that their property has been stolen.
“In many cases it was some considerable time before the owners became aware and the activation of tracking equipment failed to reveal the current locations.”
