Bad weather 'leads to car crime surge'

December's bad weather has led to a rise in vehicle-related crime, it has been reported.

According to the AA, many drivers have returned to their cars – abandoned due to the snow and ice - to find they have been broken into or damage has been caused by other vehicles.

This has contributed to a 40 per cent rise in insurance claims, the cover provider reports.

Another major problem has been car thefts from people's drives, as they leave their car engines on to defrost the windows, the AA said.

Simon Douglas, a director at the firm, said there is a spate of such incidents every winter.

He added: "There is evidence that organised criminals wait for just this kind of opportunity to steal cars, especially upmarket ones, which are otherwise almost impossible to take without the keys."

Mr Douglas reminded drivers that if their car is stolen after leaving the keys inside, this may invalidate their insurance policy.

In doing so, he echoed the comments of the Financial Ombudsman Service, which warned motorists to be aware of cover exclusion clauses earlier in the week.

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2009-12-29 11:47:25 © Moneyextra.com