One car park accounts for almost half of all vehicle crimes at railway stations across the district, figures obtained by the Telegraph & Argus have revealed.

The statistics also show there have been a total of 81 vehicle-related crimes at car parks in the Bradford district in the past three years – but only one successful prosecution in that time.

Since Apperley Bridge railway station reopened on December 13, 2015, there have been 36 offences of vehicle crime recorded at its car park, almost three times more than at any other station in that period.

The station with the second highest number of vehicle crimes was Shipley, with 13 incidents, followed by Bradford Forster Square with 12 and Steeton and Silsden with 11. The figures, obtained through a Freedom of Information request, show that vehicle crime at railway stations has increased year-on-year across the district.

In the financial year 2015/16, there were 11 recorded vehicle crimes, in 2016/17 the number shot up to 34, and in 2017/18 it stands at 36 so far. The only successful prosecution came following two arrests for theft from a motor vehicle at Apperley Bridge. British Transport Police said at the time, each of the thefts was made on a Volkswagen vehicle, with thieves breaking into the cars and stealing the built-in satellite-navigation systems.

Theft from a motor vehicle accounted for 57 of the 81 vehicle crimes reported to police, with other offences including damage to a motor vehicle, theft of a motor vehicle, failing to stop after an accident or not reporting an accident, interfering with a motor vehicle, and going equipped to steal or burgle.

Councillor Jeanette Sunderland (Lib Dem, Idle & Thackley) said the remoteness of the Apperley Bridge station car park was a major factor in the high levels of crime there.

She said: “It has the highest figures because it is remote. The vast majority of the crime has been people stealing sat-nav systems from expensive cars.

“We have asked the West Yorkshire Combined Authority and Network Rail to look again at the security arrangements and the CCTV. They are wanting to increase the size of the car park and we want them to improve security measures as we do it.”

Cllr Sunderland said when she has visited the car park to leaflet, she saw an expensive handbag left on a car seat “just asking to be stolen”.

Stations that have not experienced any vehicle crime in the past three years are Bingley, Bradford Interchange and Ilkley. Baildon, Keighley Depot, Low Moor and Menston stations have seen one reported crime each in the past three years, and there have been five incidents at Crossflatts station.

A spokesman for British Transport Police (BTP) said: “We have been undertaking regular patrols at stations and car parks, including officers in plain clothes and in the case of Apperley Bridge, utilising Travel Safe officers employed by Northern Rail to maximise our visibility. We continue to work closely with our partners at Northern Rail who manage the station, to look at ways of preventing crime and arresting those responsible.

“Every crime reported to BTP is the subject of a rigorous and exhaustive enquiry by officers and detectives. A number of arrests have been made in the past year connected with vehicle crime in West Yorkshire.The public can of course help us reduce crime by reporting incidents and concerns to us. We have a discreet text reporting service and I would encourage members of the public to use this, just text 61016.”