Five million cars vandalised each year

Six in 10 (63 per cent) motorists have had the misfortune of having their vehicle defaced at some time with one in seven car owners experiencing car vandalism in the past 12 months.

This equates to five million cars being vandalised each year at an average cost of £267 per incident, according to Direct Line. This equals £1.3 billion overall cost to the industry each year.

According to Direct Line research more than half (58 per cent) of all motorists who have experienced car vandalism in the past year did not report the crime to the police as they felt the authorities would not act.

Most common damage is the car being keyed (53 per cent) followed by smashed windows (33 per cent) and bent antennas (26 per cent). Substantially worse crimes are also experienced by an unlucky few including punctured tyres (14 per cent), stolen badges (11 per cent) and the vehicle being graffitied (four per cent).

The majority of motorists (93 per cent) say that they are very concerned about the crime. In particular, research reveals motorists are becoming scared to park their vehicle in certain cities with eight out of 10 motorists (79 per cent) worrying about where they leave their car.

Motorists also cited concerns about multi-storey car parks (57 per cent) and train stations (55 per cent) feeling they would be high-risk places to park.

Emma Holyer, Direct Line’s Motor spokesperson said: "Direct Line deals with many vandalism claims every year for our customers and it’s a growing concern for all car owners. Many motorists believe this type of crime only happens in inner cities or car parks whereas your car is actually most at risk parked in a quiet dark street away from any street lamps.

"We would urge motorists to use their garage or driveway if they have one and always try to park in well-lit open areas. In addition, make sure any car parks you use have good lighting and are well supervised."

The top five most feared cities for vandalism are London (24 per cent), Liverpool (11 per cent), Manchester (10 per cent), Birmingham (seven per cent) and Glasgow (six per cent).

The fear of vandalism is causing one in 10 (13 per cent) drivers to boycott destinations they think are high risk, while one in five (19 per cent) refuse to buy a prestige motor because they feel it’s likely to be targeted by vandals.

Emma Holyer, added: "It is a worry that motorists feel so concerned about vandalism that it is putting them off buying the car of their choice. The reality is that this is an opportunist crime and vandals can strike any car at any time and if motorists are worried the most important thing they can do is to protect themselves with comprehensive insurance cover with a company they can trust."