Car thieves are increasingly targeting areas where they are more likely to come across expensive vehicles, car insurance customers have been warned.

According to the RAC, this is because they are often stealing cars to order, or are confident of finding valuable items in more upmarket vehicles.

In particular, the body has noticed a marked increase in the number of cars that are being stolen by thieves that have obtained the keys beforehand - for instance by 'fishing' them through a letterbox from where they are left in a hallway.

Despite this, car insurance buyers living in high-crime areas are still more likely to be paying more for their premiums, the RAC said.

Spokeswoman Liz Kennett said: "Car insurance firms will look at where your car is parked over night … obviously that will be impacted by your post code."

However she added that "because cars tend to go with us wherever we go, postcodes have less of an impact on car insurance than home insurance".

Ms Kennett claimed the major factors that affect the price of a car insurance premium are personal accident and injury claims and accident levels in the car itself, saying theft itself is "not really a main issue".

Meanwhile, the Motor Insurers' Bureau has reported that a total of 36,000 uninsured claims were made during 2006.

This is nearly five per cent less uninsured and untraced driver claims than were made in the previous year.

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