Car crime happens more frequently at night, the survey found

Almost one in three drivers questioned said their vehicles had been stolen or vandalised during the night, compared to just one in 10 in Wales.

The UK average was one in five, the survey carried out for Sainsbury's Bank found.

The North West rated alongside the West Midlands and Yorkshire and Humberside as the worse areas for car crime at any time of the day or night.

It also has one of the highest levels of drivers experiencing "road rage", at one in six (17%).

Researchers Taylor Nelson Sofres based their findings on the responses of 1,284 motorists across the country in April.

They were also asked what precautions, if any, they routinely took to prevent crime.

MOTORISTS HIT BY CAR CRIME AT NIGHT Yorkshire & Humberside 23% West Midlands 16% East Anglia 20% Greater London 16% South East 17% Scotland 16% North West 29% North East 24% East Midlands 19% Wales 11% South West 20%

As many as 29% said they avoided certain areas during the daytime, and at night this rose to 39%.

Gail Quinn, Head of Business Development for Sainsbury's Bank, urged motorists to review their vehicle security.

"By taking a few simple precautions such as not leaving valuables in your vehicle or even just making sure that you lock the car when you are not using it or when you pay for petrol at a filling station, you can greatly reduce the chances of becoming a victim of car crime," she said.

A survey last week found the North West was the UK's motor insurance black spot.

High crime rates, traffic congestion and a proliferation of expensive cars were blamed for motorists paying, on average, 23% more than the rest of the country in premiums.

Researchers for Tesco Motor Insurance admit they were surprised to see the region beat London into second place.

The figures show the annual yearly premium in the North West is �535.39, while in Greater London it is �518.34.