VEHICLE thefts in the region plummeted last year, latest figures show.

In West Yorkshire, there were 6.7 incidents per 1,000 residents – down from 9.9 in 2019.

North Yorkshire Police had the lowest ratio of any force across the whole county – 2.3 incidents per 1,000 residents, compared to 2.8 the previous year.

The data was collated by Quotezone.co.uk, using statistics from the Economic Policy Centre.

Drops of 40 per cent or more in vehicle thefts were recorded by over half of police forces nationally, including West Yorkshire, during the first lockdown compared to the same period the previous year.

Between March and May, 2019, there were 5,309 reported vehicle thefts across West Yorkshire. That fell to 3,485 in the same period last year.

Greg Wilson, founder of Quotezone.co.uk, said: “It’s perhaps not surprising that the rate of vehicle crime has fallen given lockdown measures and the reduced number of cars parked on the road. However, the scale of the fall is dramatic and a welcome development.

“Yorkshire’s vehicle owners weren’t left out of the national trend, but in a diverse region there will be many areas that remain crime hotspots, particularly in big cities.

“It’s worth taking extra precautions, such as keeping cars in locked garages overnight or parked on driveways, to reduce risk and possibly lower insurance premiums.”