Car theft and vehicle crime in Ilford
858 vehicle crimes were reported to Metropolitan Police Service within about a mile of Ilford from October 2025 to September 2026. Recent months have been broadly steady: 204 offences in the latest quarter against 225 previously.
Ilford month by month
May 2026 stands out at 88 recorded offences, while August 2026 dropped to 53. Both halves of the period landed within a few per cent of each other. Average: 71.5 a month.
| Month | Offences | vs 12-month average |
|---|---|---|
| Oct 2025 | 72 | +0 |
| Nov 2025 | 67 | -4 |
| Dec 2025 | 72 | +0 |
| Jan 2026 | 79 | +8 |
| Feb 2026 | 61 | -10 |
| Mar 2026 | 78 | +6 |
| Apr 2026 | 67 | -4 |
| May 2026 | 88 | +16 |
| Jun 2026 | 70 | -2 |
| Jul 2026 | 64 | -8 |
| Aug 2026 | 53 | -18 |
| Sep 2026 | 87 | +16 |
How Ilford compares
Out of the 84 areas we track, Ilford ranks 6 for monthly vehicle crime at 72 a month, about 3.1 times the typical town in our set. Cardiff averaged 116.
Over the latest three months the one-mile circle around Ilford averaged 68 vehicle offences a month. Central Ilford lands in the busiest 5% of our national postcode sample. For context we counted the same one-mile radius around 400 random postcodes nationwide (Jul 2026, Aug 2026, Sep 2026). Test your own street with the free theft risk checker.
Within the Metropolitan Police Service area, Ilford ranks 2 of the 6 centres we track at 72 offences a month. The others: Croydon (78), Romford (43), Enfield Town (35), Wembley (30), Kingston upon Thames (18).
Towns nearest to Ilford
- Romford (5 miles away): 43 a month, 40% fewer than Ilford
- Enfield Town (9 miles away): 35 a month, 51% fewer than Ilford
- Croydon (15 miles away): 78 a month, 10% more than Ilford
Where in Ilford offences were recorded
These five police.uk map points account for 14% of the offences near Ilford.
- On or near Parking Area: 33
- On or near Shopping Area: 29
- On or near Further/higher Educational Building: 23
- On or near Chapel Road: 17
- On or near Petrol Station: 15
What happened to Ilford cases
The most common recorded outcome near Ilford was "investigation complete; no suspect identified" (763 cases).
| Outcome | Offences | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Investigation complete; no suspect identified | 763 | 89% |
| Unable to prosecute suspect | 56 | 7% |
| Under investigation | 19 | 2% |
| Awaiting court outcome | 5 | 1% |
| Court result unavailable | 5 | 1% |
| Status update unavailable | 5 | 1% |
What this means if you park near Ilford
With roughly 72 offences a month close to Ilford, assume a parked car here will be tried at some point. Expect pressure to build again around May, the worst month in this data.
For a car kept near Ilford, layering helps: an immobiliser to stop the engine starting, and a certified tracker for recovery if it goes anyway. See installation options.
Ilford car theft questions
How much car crime is there in Ilford?
858 in the latest 12 months (72 a month on average) within roughly a mile of the Ilford centre. Of our 84 towns, Ilford comes 6, among the higher end of the table.
When was vehicle crime worst in Ilford?
The worst month was May 2026 (88). The quietest was August 2026 (53), and September 2026 came in at 87.
Are car thieves caught in Ilford?
Of the 858 offences, 763 (89%) were closed with no suspect identified, and 12 reached a court or charge stage on police.uk. Prevention and recovery tracking matter more than hoping for an arrest.
Does this cover stolen cars only in Ilford?
The Ilford total of 858 includes thefts of vehicles, thefts from them and interference: police.uk does not split these at street level, so treat it as all car crime rather than stolen cars only.
Source: police.uk, centred on 51.559, 0.0741, retrieved 2026-11-06. Method and limits.