Top 20 car theft hotspots revealed

Posted in 'Neighbourhood' by Richard Catlin

02 November 2009

Once again, the role that your postcode plays in determining how much you pay for goods and services has come to light.

Research by moneysupermarket has revealed the top 20 postal district 'hotspots' for car crime, according the number of claims for theft from or of vehicles. It found that BR7 - Bromley in Kent was worst affected, followed, in descending order of risk, by the postal districts TS28, IG4, M3, BS29, BD1, S2, NP24, RM7, IG9, IG8, M4, CF34, S13, LS15, NR23, DN8, RM11 and RM13. Romford and Ilford account for a quarter of all high risk areas. Each postal district in the top 20 accounting for around 3% of all incidences of theft from a car or theft of a car.

One of the first components that insurers consider when determining your annual premium – for most types of insurance – is where you live. Postcode based claims history figures will impact on your premium even before factors such as no claims bonus are considered.

It’s not just insurance products that are affected of course – even the type of junk mail you receive will be affected by where you live, as marketers often use generalised credit rating bands to determine whether you’re most likely to be a fit to a Platinum credit card or one aimed at consumers with a less than perfect score.

You can check how your postcode is rated for free on checkmyfile. As well as an overall rating, you’ll be able to check lots of other information, such as how average house prices are faring and what your neighbours' credit ratings are like. There’s even the chance to give feedback if you really disagree with the information, which we pass on to the data collectors.

If you postcode is currently under attack by identity thieves, we’ll tell you when you search.

There isn’t much you can do about how your home area is rated (other than take the fairly drastic decision to move house), but you can make sure that the elements of your credit file you do have some control over - such as your Electoral Roll listing and people you’re associated with - are in order.

Checking your credit file online will allow you to see what information is held about you, and should you find anything you disagree with, we’ll be able to advise you on how to challenge it. checkmyfile is also the only place you can view your files from all three UK credit reference agencies in the same, easy to understand format.

Check your credit report now.