Stevenage is Herts hotspot for vehicle vandalism, data shows

The data shows that Stevenage has the highest rate of car theft in the county when taking population into the equation, with 504 offences, making the crime rate 5.74 per 1,000 people.

According to the findings from MoneySuperMarket, Stevenage had the eighth highest rate for vechicle vandalism in the country - following South Nottinghamshire, Middlesbrough, Kingston upon Hull, Newcastle upon Tyne, Burnley, Carlisle and Bristol.

The crime rate per 1,000 people was closely followed by Watford at 5.3 per cent.

Welwyn Hatfield had the fifth highest offending rate in Hertfordshire, with 479 offences. Per 1,000 people, this averaged at 3.92.

North Hertfordshire closely followed with 500 vehicle vandalism offences, giving it a crime rate of 3.75 per 1,000 people.

There were 547 offences in St Albans, making it seventh on the list for offences carried out in Hertfordshire with a crime rate of 3.27, and Hertsmere followed in eighth place with 361 offences and a crime rate of 3.47 per cent per 1,000 population.

Rachel Wait, consumer affairs spokesperson at MoneySuperMarket, commented: "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. "

Data also showed that Mercedes, BMW and Fiats were the top three most likely car makes to be targeted by vandals.

The least likely were Seat, Citroen and Honda.

For more information on vandalism hotspots, go to moneysupermarket.com/car-insurance/vandalism-hotspots.