NUMBERS of cars stolen in the Bradford policing district have been slashed in the space of five years – and thieves’ taste in vehicles has also changed.

During the 2009/10 financial year there were 1,399 cars reported as stolen in the district, with the Vauxhall Corsa being the criminals’ favourite with 73 of them disappearing.

Vauxhall Astras were the next most popular model, with 65 taken and Volkswagen Golfs in third place, with 64 going missing.

However, by last year, the total number of cars reported stolen was down to 698 in the city, with the VW Golf promoted to top position, with 48 reported stolen and Vauxhall Astras and the Ford Focus in joint second place, with 32 examples of each missing.

Some cars become less popular with criminals as models change, making them less easy to steal.