The number of family cars stolen in the Netherlands last year fell by nearly 6% to just over 10,000, according to the national car crime monitor AVc.

The total number of vehicle thefts – including vans, lorries and motorbikes – fell by nearly 5% to under 30,000 – the lowest figure in years, AVc director Titus Visser said in a statement.

In particular, there was a 14% drop in the number of stolen new cars. This is probably due to improved alarms and other security systems, Visser said. There was a corresponding 16% rise in thefts of cars that were between four and eight years old.

Thefts of lorries and vans also fell by between 20% and 30%, but motorbike thefts rose 5%. Over 37% of stolen vehicles were recovered, slightly fewer than in 2014.