Kent is the second worst place in the UK for thefts from businesses, new figures show.

More than £40 million of goods were stolen from companies in the county between 2013 and 2016.

Kent was second only to Greater Manchester, where more than £71 million of items were taken.

It was fifth overall when it came to the number of thefts reported, at 69,048, behind Greater Manchester, West Yorkshire, Derbyshire and Essex.

The study found £184 million worth of items were stolen from firms in 20 police constabularies in the UK which responded to a Freedom of Information request by self storage company Space Station in July.

This covered more than 842,000 reported cases.

Only eight constabularies provided the value of the crimes. There are 43 police forces in the country.

Vlatka Lake, marketing manager at Space Station, said: “Although many of these crimes aren’t preventable, it is important to be extra vigilant to stop cases like this recurring and to safeguard people’s livelihoods.

“Many burglaries can be prevented by obscuring expensive items from view, installing burglar alarms and CCTV and ensuring that business sites are kept locked and secure when unoccupied...” - Supt Phil Hibben, Kent Police

“We highly recommend that businesses invest in secure storage solutions and take necessary steps to deter criminals. A well-lit space that is laid out to remove any hidden corners or ‘blindspots’ can deter opportunists.”

“Business owners can also look into alternative areas to hold their stock if they are going to be away from the premises for any period of time.”

Kent Police's Supt Phil Hibben said: “Kent is one of England’s larger forces and covers a wide geographic area.

“It has a vibrant economy and is also the gateway to Europe, with large volumes of freight traffic travelling through the county. It is therefore natural that it will see higher levels of reported crime in comparison to smaller counties.”

He encouraged firms to report crimes and said the forced informs business owners of ways to reduce the risk of becoming a victim of crime.

He added: “Burglars and thieves are often opportunists who will look to target an open window, an unlocked door or valuables on display.

“Many burglaries can be prevented by obscuring expensive items from view, installing burglar alarms and CCTV and ensuring that business sites are kept locked and secure when unoccupied.”