London, Nov 7 (IANS) British parents have been asked to keep their baby buggies safe as thieves are now targeting them because of their high demand in the market.
Thousands of such buggies are disappearing from car parks and outside homes, fuelling a thriving black market worth an estimated 30 million pounds, the Daily Express reported Sunday.
The most sought-after makes include the 459-pound Bugaboo Bee Plus, 250-pound Silver Cross 3D, 150-pound Quinny Zapp and 196-pound Maclaren Techno XT.
According to the report, sales of 500-plus-pound designer buggies have soared by 40 percent, with parents unwittingly helping the black market with second-hand purchases.
According to a Halifax-based insurance company, thefts have almost doubled in a year. Pushchairs are also being snatched in burglaries and from restaurants.
Of the 2,000 parents it polled, five percent said their buggy had been stolen, which would amount to more than 315,000 nationwide. Almost a quarter were bought second-hand.
‘It may seem surprising that thieves stoop so low, yet it appears that the increasing value of baby buggies has caused parents to become a target,’ the company said.
–Indo-Asian New Service
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