AMONGST all the popular, everyday vehicles stolen on Bradford’s roads in 2018, there are a number that make you sit up and take notice.

From vintage classic cars to supercars and hypercars which set their owners back six-figure sums, it appeared last year some of Bradford’s criminals had both expensive taste and, simply, great taste in motors.

Rare, classic, vintage and supercars only accounted for less than one per cent of vehicles stolen in the district last year, but still caught the eye.

When it comes to supercars, Italian carmaker Lamborghini appeared to be car thieves’ favourite, with three being stolen in the district last year.

Two Lamborghini Huracans were stolen, one in the Clayton & Fairweather Green ward area, and another in the Toller ward. A third Lambo was also stolen in the Toller area.

Bradford criminals’ joint favourite were Porsches, with a Cayenne (Bowling & Barkerend), Macan (Ilkley) and Panamera (Toller) being pinched.

The next most stolen cars were Bentleys, with one taken in Ilkley and the other location unknown.

A Ferrari was also stolen - in Clayton & Fairweather Green - and a McLaren Mercedes was taken in the same area.

But it wasn’t just modern cars on thieves’ radars in 2018, a number of rare, classic cars were stolen.

These included a Mini Metro and a Singer Gazelle, and two more vintage vehicles.

The first was a Morris Minor, which featured in a hair-raising chase in November - which was recently featured in an episode of Channel 5 show Police Interceptors.

A pulse-raising video clip of the chase shows the 51-year-old take off after spotting police, leading officers on a chase around the Fagley area of the city, narrowly avoiding a serious crash at a crossroads with two other vehicles.

The person behind the wheel managed to lose the police after driving over a grass verge and along a pavement onto Harrogate Road to escape.

The second was a beloved Austin A35, which was stolen in Calverley and found burned-out after being torched in Fagley.

Owen Lokuciejewski-Taylor’s pride and joy was stolen off his drive in November by “chancers” caught on CCTV trying the doors of cars along his street until they reached the Austin.

After it was stolen, he said: “It’s still hard to believe, just like that and something so special to you is just gone, made all the worse by the fact that it was stolen and vandalised so thoughtlessly.

“It is just such an incredible waste of history and a beautiful little car.”

A West Yorkshire Police spokesperson said the Morris Minor was found and recovered by officers, and the crime has been filed.

He said: “Vehicles are stolen for a number of reasons.

“Some will be taken by individuals with links to organised crime groups who work across force areas and may either strip it down to sell on the parts or use it to commit offences.

“Some will be taken by opportunist thieves who walk along streets trying door handles, so motorists can assist us by checking these before leaving their vehicles unattended.

“There will also be those taken in ‘Hanoi’ burglaries, where thieves enter a property with the intention of taking your vehicle(s), so we would also remind people to make sure your doors and windows are locked at all times and that keys cannot be seen from outside.”