Buggy burglars

We’re all alert to car and bike thieves, but when it comes to prams it appears we’re missing a trick. According to a Halifax Home Insurance report released this week, the pushchair black market is worth a whopping £60m a year.

The study suggests that the Bugaboo Bee Plus (worth £459), Silver Cross 3D (£250), Quinny Zapp (£150) and the Maclaren Techno XT (£196) are among those most sought after by thieves.

Gone are the days when a pram merely served the purpose of wheeling infants from A to B. They are now as much an accessory as they are necessity. Expensive pushchairs come with tyres more robust than a hatchback, beautiful finishes and a designer price tag to match. The study suggests that the Bugaboo Bee Plus (worth £459), Silver Cross 3D (£250), Quinny Zapp (£150) and the Maclaren Techno XT (£196) are among those most sought after by thieves.

Thieves are said to be stealing unoccupied strollers most frequently from inside the home, just outside the property, from car parks, cafés and restaurants. Halifax Home Insurance polled 2,000 parents and found that double the number of pram thefts had been recorded this year in the UK.

This week, The Independent contacted four police forces across the country to find out just how big a problem buggy burglary has become. A spokesperson for Greater Manchester Police responded by saying: "We get asked to write public appeals for thefts all the time and I cannot remember the last time we had to do one for a missing buggy. That's not to say they don't get stolen, but we're not aware it's a specific problem."

However, with national figures on the up, it’s worth bearing in mind that in today’s society your pram is probably worth more than you might think.

David Rochester, head of underwriting at Halifax Home Insurance advises: "It may seem surprising that thieves would stoop so low, yet it appears the increasing value of baby buggies has caused parents to become a target for thieves.

“We recommend all new parents make sure buggies are safely secured when stored in the home, and not left visible in porches or driveways where they can be easily stolen as they are on wheels, enabling a quick getaway."