MORE than 70 caravans were stolen in Wiltshire between 2015 and 2018, figures show.

The numbers, obtained under Freedom of Information Act rules, showed Wiltshire Police received 73 reports of stolen caravans and motorhomes.

It was a fraction of the number reported to West Mercia police, which received 220 calls. But the Wiltshire figure was more than six times that for nearby Dorset, where officers received just 12 reports of stolen motorhomes in three years.

Larissa Knopp of Towergate Caravan Insurance, which requested the data from UK police forces, said: “Hopefully, these figures will encourage owners of caravans to take the right precautions when storing their vehicles, especially in the summer months when thefts are most prevalent, and ensure they are covered if anything like this does happen to them.”

Experts recommended secuting caravans with hitch locks, anchoring devices, alarmed cables and tracking devices.