The boss of Jaguar Land Rover has denied that his company's vehicles are especially vulnerable to theft.

Adrian Mardell said the Range Rover "is not 'Britain's most stolen vehicle'" after a series of reports about soaring insurance costs for UK owners.

He accused the insurance industry of failing to take into account all data when setting cover and premiums.

Last year, JLR launched its own insurance after some drivers were unable to get cover at all.

Speaking angrily to journalists after JLR announced its latest financial results, Mr Mardell said that vehicle theft by organised criminals was a serious issue in the UK, but his own business had been unfairly singled out.

"It is not 'Britain's most stolen vehicle', as reported incorrectly", said Mr Mardell, adding that he wanted to correct what he described as "misinformation" and a "myth" about thefts, in particular where Range Rovers were concerned.

It follows reporting, including by Bloomberg, which said the Range Rover Velar model "was the most-stolen car in the year to March 2023, with more than two out of every 100 reported stolen" citing data from the UK's Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency.

Mr Mardell said thefts of Range Rovers had fallen 27% last year compared with 2022 and new models were especially secure.

FTSE100

The UK's flagship share index, the FTSE 100, was up 22-points at 7,638 shortly after opening this morning.

Brent crude oil futures was up 0.06% today, trading at $77.38 a barrel.

Companies reporting today

CaterpillarQ4 Results
McDonald'sQ4 Results
VodafoneQ3 Trading Update

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