£200 million worth of vans stolen in UK last year

Figures from the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA), obtained through a Freedom of Information (FOI) request, reveal that 11,273, vans worth an estimated £200 million were reported stolen in England, Wales and Scotland in 2024, averaging 31 thefts a day.

While van thefts have declined in 2024 compared to 2023, the high number of thefts highlights the ongoing issue of van security and the need for increased preventive measures, says Direct Line.

Among those vans stolen, the Ford Transit was the most targeted model, with almost 6,000 stolen (5,906), accounting for more than half (52%) of all thefts. Despite this, more than 2,000 (2,041) Transits were recovered by the police, comprising nearly half (46%) of total vans retrieved.

Among the top five most stolen van models, the Peugeot Boxer had the highest proportion of vans stolen compared to the number of licensed vans on the road, with 7.7 thefts per 1,000 licensed vans.

Eva Sandstra-Bennett, van product manager at Direct Line business insurance, said: “Van theft has a devastating impact on the businesses and individuals who rely on their vans for their daily lives and work. It isn’t just the cost of replacing a van, there is the lost income if businesses can’t make deliveries or if tradespeople can’t get to the site.”

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