Vehicle thefts 'double' in coastal areas - police

There had been "isolated thefts of cars and vans" across the Scarborough district, police said

The number of motor vehicles stolen in rural areas on the North Yorkshire coast has doubled compared to last year, according to police.

A total of 40 vehicles - mainly motorbikes and mopeds - were stolen between May and October this year compared to the 21 stolen in the same period in 2024, North Yorkshire Police's rural crime report for Scarborough and Whitby has found.

There was also a "slight rise" in general theft compared to last year, with peaks in June, September and October of close to 20 reported incidents per month, the report stated.

Despite the increase in vehicle thefts, the force said its cross-border partnership with Cleveland Police was helping to "detect and deter rural crime".

The findings, which do not include urban areas of Scarborough and Whitby, also highlighted there had been "isolated thefts of cars and vans across the district", according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

However, there had been a drop in the number of reported quad bike thefts, from a peak of four in May to only two in the following five months.

The report stated: "Our roads policing and operational support units and rural task force are continuing to assist local policing in increasing patrols and stop-checking vehicles across the district."

North Yorkshire Police said September's increase in general theft saw a "mixture" of items being stolen, including a "caravan, e-bikes, a cement mixer, fencing wire, eggs and a mobility scooter".

However, the report added: "None of these have turned into a theft-trend, thankfully."

Members of North Yorkshire Council's Scarborough and Whitby Area Committee are due to meet on Friday to discuss the report's findings.

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