Concerns raised at near 70% spike in car thefts in Cork city

Fears have been expressed about the re-emergence of so-called joyriding in Cork City after an almost 70% spike in the number of reported car thefts.

New Garda figures show there were 75 reports of theft or the unauthorised taking of a vehicle in the Cork City Garda Division in the first quarter of this year — up from 45 for the same period last year.

The figures represent a 67% increase in this category of property crime, a meeting of the Cork City Joint Policing Committee was told yesterday.