CHORLEY and South Ribble are among the places with the lowest rates of vehicle crime in Lancashire according to figures.

Vehicle vandalism affects around four in every 1,000 people in the UK on average but new statistics from a Freedom of Information Act request by MoneySupermarket show between April 2017 and March 2018 and Chorley was sixth across the county as statistics showed 3.47 people per 1,000 had been victim of crime

Meanwhile, South Ribble fared better in fifth spot with 3.27 victims while Ribble Valley had the second lowest figures with 2.62 offences.

Criminal damage to a vehicle is damage to a vehicle that was intentionally caused by someone or something – but not caused by another vehicle and can include someone using a sharp object to damage the side of your car.

The worst area in East Lancashire was Burnley with 6.39 people per 1,000, followed by Hyndburn (5.36) incidents, followed by Blackburn with Darwen (5.01), Pendle (3.97) and Rossendale (3.65).

Sgt Paul Harrison of Chorley Police, said: “It is really re-assuring to know that we are doing the right things. We have been targetting certain areas and we review the crime stats on a daily basis to see if we need to create patrols in the area.

“We are also introducing a new task force across Chorley and South Ribble which will respond vehicle crime and anti-social behaviour in the area.

“We hope it means that officers will be able to pick up the bigger issues in the community.”

The study also explored claims data provided by AXA showing how the rates of criminal damage can be impacted by the type of car in question and found certain makes and colours of cars statistically fare better than others.

German cars make-up three of the top four car manufacturers for vehicles targeted - Mercedes, BMW and Audi.

However, Seat and Citroen owners escape with the fewest cases of vandalism, with Seat vehicles being over three times less likely to be vandalised than Mercedes.

Green and black vehicles were more likely to be targeted, with 1.5 and 1.4 cases reported per 1,000 respectively. White vehicles rank third of ‘most likely to be vandalised’ with 1.3 reported cases.

Blue is the safest colour, with one case of vandalism – the lowest rate reported. Silver and red follow closely behind, with 1.1 cases per 1,000 policies each.

Rachel Wait, consumer affairs spokesperson at MoneySuperMarket, said: “Only one in four victims of vandalism decide to report the incident to their insurance company, possibly due to concerns about losing their no-claims discount. However, some insurance providers protect a driver’s no-claims bonus for cases of vandalism, so it’s worth double checking your policy as you may be protected without realising. A comprehensive car insurance policy is likely to cover you for these offences, as opposed to a third-party policy. Be sure to shop around for the best deal online and look out for vandalism cover in your policy for peace of mind. ”

To find out more about the worst and safest areas visit www.moneysupermarket.com/car-insurance/vandalism-hotspots