The former Top gear frontman said his car was broken into by thieves “without fail” when he was living in West London in the early 1980s. He said his car would be covered in “shattered glass” with criminals ripping stuff out from his dashboard.
DVLA figures obtained by Rivervale Leasing showed 56,288 cars are stolen by criminals in 2019.
This equates to one theft every nine minutes or 154 every day in a staggering figure,
Car experts at AX claim vehicle theft has also surged by an average of 21 percent over the past three years.
The Metropolitan Police has urged drivers to take some simple precautions to ensure road users do not get their car broken into.
Road users should also make space between other cars when stopping as this means thieves can be seen more easily.
The Metropolitan Police said most people fail to report criminal damage or vandalism to their vehicles.
Confused.com has warned any vehicle could be a target irrespective of what model it is.
However, newer cars and high-powered vehicles such as BMW’s, Jaguars and Mercedes are more popular.