Ministers are under intense pressure to create a dedicated national police unit targeting car thieves, following the release of damning statistics showing more than three-quarters of all vehicle thefts in England and Wales went unsolved last year.
Staggering Scale of Unsolved Vehicle Crime
Analysis commissioned by the Liberal Democrats and conducted by the House of Commons Library paints a bleak picture. In the 2024-25 financial year, a total of 121,825 motor vehicles were reported stolen across the two nations. Alarmingly, investigations into 92,958 of these thefts were closed without a suspect ever being identified.
This failure to solve cases contributed to a national average unsolved rate of 76.3 per cent, meaning victims in the vast majority of incidents saw no justice. The data shows that 35 out of the 44 police forces in England and Wales failed to identify a suspect in over 60% of their car theft investigations.
The Worst Performing Police Forces Revealed
The figures expose a significant postcode lottery in the response to vehicle crime. The Metropolitan Police recorded the worst performance, with a staggering 88.5 per cent of car thefts in London ending without a solved case.
Other forces with particularly high unsolved rates include:
- British Transport Police (84.4%)
- South Yorkshire Police (82.6%)
- City of London Police (81.5%)
- Sussex Police (81.1%)
- Warwickshire Police (80.7%)
Calls for a National Crackdown on Organised Gangs
In response to the crisis, the Liberal Democrats are demanding the establishment of a specialist team within the National Crime Agency (NCA). This proposed unit would be tasked with dismantling organised car crime networks by pooling data from ANPR cameras, insurance records, police intelligence, and border controls.
Lib Dem home affairs spokesman, Max Wilkinson, launched a scathing attack on both current and previous governments. He stated: "Time and time again victims of crime are left without the support they need, it’s a disgrace. The previous Conservative government betrayed our communities with years of self-defeating police cuts – and now the current Labour Government must not turn a blind eye to this epidemic."
"Enough is enough. We are calling for a car theft crackdown to finally catch the organised gangs and criminals who for far too long have been getting away with it," Wilkinson added.
Government Response and New Laws
The Home Office, while acknowledging the devastating impact of vehicle theft, pointed to recent progress. A spokesman highlighted a 12 per cent reduction in overall vehicle crime and a 7 per cent drop in vehicle theft in the year to June 2025.
They also cited new legislation designed to combat modern theft methods. The government has moved to outlaw electronic devices used by criminals to bypass vehicle security systems. Those caught using such devices now face up to five years in prison.
The Home Office spokesman said: "For too long, not enough has been done to prevent these crimes or to bring those responsible to justice. This Government and the police are taking decisive action to change that – from introducing new laws to training officers and working with industry to address vehicle vulnerabilities."
Despite these measures, the sheer volume of unsolved cases has ignited a fierce political debate about the adequacy of resources and strategy in fighting what many now describe as an epidemic of car theft in the UK.
