Buggy bandits steal £60m of prams

Thefts of strollers have almost doubled in a year and research suggests particular models are more likely than others to attract opportunistic thieves.

As many as one in 20 families will have a buggy stolen, according to research by Halifax, with the designer stroller increasingly becoming a favourite item in burglaries.

And it seems the buggy bandits may even be targeting particular models which can be resold for hundreds of pounds on auction websites.

According to Halifax Home Insurance the Bugaboo Bee Plus (up to 579), the Silver Cross 3D (250), the Quinny Zapp (150) and the Maclaren Techno XT (196) are among the prime targets. The Bugaboo is one of the new generation of transformer buggies - which changes as the child grows older and which can be adapted to face forwards and backwards.

The Silver Cross 3D can switch between an old fashioned lie-down pram and a pushchair. The pram comes complete with a fleecy footmuff, built in changing bag, rain cover and shopping basket.

The Quinny Zapp is a lightweight three-wheeler pushchair ideal for urban environments, while the Maclaren Techno XT is a hi-tech padded version of the classic Maclaren design.

In July this year, Kelly Ann McVicar from Greenock lost her 16-month-old son Jayden's buggy when she left it in an area reserved for buggies and prams outside a circus. The buggy, worth 295, had been taken and another left in its place.

She said: "A wee stroller was left where Jayden's pram was and it was filthy. I wouldn't put a baby in it.

The most desirable designs

A KEY moment in the development of Dutch brand Bugaboo came when the model was featured in an episode of the TV series Sex and the City before it was launched in the United States.

Today the brightly coloured buggies, with designs based on climbing gear, have become a must for yummy mummies.

Madonna had one, as did Stella McCartney, Gwyneth Paltrow and the Dutch Royal Family.

And the success of the brand has mirrored the growth of the buggy as a fashion accessory.

You can now buy leopard skin and tiger print buggies. There is even one based on the Beatles film Yellow Submarine.

As one reviewer of baby products wrote: "If you are going to walk behind something for three years it might as well look good."

Bugaboo specialises in brightly coloured buggies that retail for 500 plus, which can convert as children grow older.

By contrast, British-made Silver Cross trades on tradition -- having made baby transport for 130 years. In the Fifties and Sixties, Silver Cross lie down prams were de rigeur. Today the manufacturer also makes pushchairs - including a model that can switch between a lie-down pushchair and a stroller.

The Quinny brand is firmly aimed at the strong, confident working mother. Quinny pioneered the hydraulic folding mechanism and specialises in three-wheeler designs for zipping through the urban landscape.

Maclaren is another British brand, the oldest buggy brand in the UK. The company pioneered lightweight pushchairs that could be easily folded for getting on and off public transport.

Maclaren has now rolled into the designer market. As well as the Techno, its also has an Object of Design range -with designers including Lulu Guiness, Phillipe Starck and Burberry - retailing for up to 830. The pram cost me 295 and there's no way the two could have been mistaken by anyone.

"I can't believe anyone would do a thing like this."

David Rochester, head of underwriting at Halifax Home Insurance, said: "It may seem surprising that thieves would stoop so low, yet it appears the increasing value of baby buggies has caused parents to become a target for thieves.

"We recommend all new parents make sure buggies are safely secured when stored in the home and not left visible in porches or driveways."

According to the survey by Halifax most buggies were stolen from inside homes (22 per cent) but 11 per cent went from just outside the property and others disappeared from car parks, cafs and restaurants.

Sales of top-of-the-range buggies costing 500 or more have increased by 40 per cent over the last year, making them an increasingly attractive target for thieves and a lucrative item for resale.

According to research carried out by the insurers, more than 300,000 baby buggies have been stolen in the past 12 months - adding up to a black market potentially worth 60m a year.

Often parents look to internet auction sites for second-hand buggies - making it increasingly easy for thieves to pass on stolen buggies to new owners.

Almost one in four parents have picked up buggies and strollers second hand from internet sites, where even used buggies can fetch up to 600. The average family buys three buggies while their children are growing up, with some buying up to six buggies over the years.

According to Halifax 5 per cent of families will report having a buggy stolen. The average price paid for each buggy is 185.

Locks are now a big selling item for parents who want to safeguard their buggy while they go shopping.