Thieves finding cars more difficult to steal are turning their attention to motorcycles and scooters, writes John Gilbride.

Edmund King, RAC Foundation executive director, said: Owning a motorcycle or scooter leaves the rider more vulnerable to vehicle theft than ever before. Organised groups seem to be targeting this increasingly popular form of personal mobility.

We welcome Government initiatives to set tough new targets for the overall reduction in car crime but it must not be at the expense of motorcycles.

The information is given based on the previous three years and a total of 71,742 unrecovered bikes was announced in January. That compares with a three-year figure of 56,000 released in 1999.