THE number of thefts from cars in Wiltshire was the third highest in the country last year according to new figures.

Data obtained by the RAC show that there was a 23 per cent increase from 2015 with 2,047 cars being broken into in 2016.

The previous figure was just 1,680 – a rise of 367.

Responses to a freedom of information request made by RAC Insurance show that nationally, nearly a quarter of a million vehicles were broken into last year, with 26 police forces – more than half of all those in England, Scotland and Wales – seeing more thefts from cars than the previous year.

In Wiltshire, the number of thefts from cars stood at one of its highest levels back in 2013 when 2,349 reports were made.

Over the last year in Swindon, a number of homeowners in the Eldene, Liden and Nythe areas have complained over a crimewave where a number of cars were broken into.

As a result, a public meeting was held with police after many felt their concerns were falling on deaf ears.

Wiltshire Police’s superintendent Adrian Burt said: “In terms of the RAC figures, these dropped by 12 per cent between 2013 and 2015 and have only increased in the past year as we see a rise in certain types of thefts from vehicles, including: thefts from beauty spot areas, thefts of tools from work vans and thefts of cash left overnight in some licenced vehicles.

“As most of these crimes are carried out by opportunist thieves, our advice to all motorists is not to keep valuables like cash, loose change, radios and satnavs in vehicles when not in use and definitely not on display – also check doors are locked. Also, as a deterrent, it is worth drivers putting signs on their vehicles to say nothing of value is left inside.

“Of course, we appreciate the real impact on the victims of this type of crime – it’s inconvenient at the very least.

“As a result of this, Wiltshire Police has and continues to invest in crime prevention awareness to help people protect their property – like the advice above - and to reduce the chances of having their vehicle broken in to in the first place.

“If anyone has been a victim of a vehicle break-in please contact police on 101 or anonymously via Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.”

Across the UK, a total of 239,920 vehicle break-ins were reported to 42 police forces in 2016 – 8,698 more than in 2015, representing a four per cent increase.

However, this national figure is a nine per cent reduction on 2013 when there were 263,574 thefts from vehicles.

RAC Insurance director Mark Godfrey said: “Breaking into cars to steal things causes motorists no end of headaches. Not only do they lose and have to try to replace their valued possessions, most will have to make an insurance claim to get their car repaired. While this can be a time-consuming and stressful process in itself, its effects will unfortunately be felt for years to come with increased annual premiums and having to declare the claim for three years whenever arranging a new car insurance policy.

“A lot of people breaking into vehicles will be opportunist, with thieves looking for items that they can sell on easily. It’s also possible that drivers have become more complacent about what items they leave on display, perhaps believing items like satnavs are now so commonplace they’re not of interest to thieves. Some may believe the fact a vehicle is alarmed makes it safe, but unfortunately this is not the case as very few people respond to the sound of a car alarm, perhaps because so many seem to go off for no apparent reason which in itself can be a tactic used by thieves.

“And with lots of drivers using their smartphones as satnavs there is a higher probability of accidentally leaving a phone in a cradle and giving a thief a great opportunity to profit. The fact remains that every time a driver leaves a valuable item clearly on display they are running the risk of becoming a car crime victim. So the old advice of making sure nothing of value is left on display inside a car is still as valid as ever, but it is also important when parking in public places to try to opt for well-lit and well used spots so as to make it harder for criminals to break in without being seen.

“Anyone unlucky enough to suffer a vehicle break-in should report it to the police as soon as possible and obtain a crime reference number which will assist with the subsequent insurance claim.”