Minister praises caravan crime campaign

HOME Office Minister Vernon Coaker has praised the co-operation between the caravan industry and national police forces for a dramatic fall in caravan theft. From a 1998 high of over 5,000 units a year, thefts have been reduced by more than 50 per cent to 2,400.

"I welcome figures that show caravan crime has fallen in recent years.  This demonstrates the benefits of the police and caravan industry working in partnership and has produced real results," Mr Coaker said.

The Caravan Registration and Identification Scheme (CRiS), operated by HPI on behalf of the National Caravan Council (NCC) was acknowledged as central to the success of the partnership.

HPI's Alan Bishop, Chairman of the Vehicle Crime Reduction Action Team Leisure Sector committee said: "CRiS offers all police forces free 24/7 access to check the status of a caravan. The data CRiS holds on the history of over 400,000 caravans is essential for the police in tackling caravan thefts and it's testament to its effectiveness that it is now frequently used as the first point of reference. CRiS also provides valuable services for both consumers and the trade to check caravan histories."

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