It’s the last place you would expect thieves to strike. But handcuffs and hedge trimmers, blood samples and packed lunches have all been stolen from police premises in the past three years.

Figures obtained by The Times under the Freedom of Information Act reveal that petty criminals view the police station or the patrol car as more of a temptation than a deterrent. More than £1 million of police property, including sat-navs, stab vests, breath-test kits and helmets have been stolen since 2005.

Although many of the missing items are rich pickings for fraudsters looking to make a quick profit, some will cause particular embarrassment to their former owners. In Warwickshire a thief with a sense of humour stole a police Codes of Practice book, while officers in Nottinghamshire were left bemused when a poster showing details of an ASBO order was stolen. Quite how a roof went missing under the noses of Scotland Yard is hard to fathom, as is the theft of bricks from the outside wall of a station in Derbyshire.

Wiltshire Police were puzzled when a £40,000 motor home vanished, as were Dorset officers when a thief lacking in charity lifted the police benevolent fund box. Kent Police were left scratching their heads when a shrubbery was spirited away from a station in Dartford, and officers in Lancashire began an investigation when thieves purloined two dogs.

No item was too small or insignificant to list as stolen. Greater Manchester police recorded the theft of £2.58 worth of meat, Humberside noted an absent carrier bag, and Avon & Somerset officers duly noted that some pain-killing tablets had gone astray. In Norfolk, a blood sample was stolen from a police car. Officers across the country had countless packets of cigarettes stolen.

Of the constabularies that provided comprehensive answers to The Times’s Freedom of Information requests, submitted to all 43 forces in England and Wales, West Midlands suffered the most expensive spate of thefts over three years, losing £130,000 of equipment. It was followed by Wiltshire, which lost more than £60,000 of property. The Metropolitan Police said that it had suffered 119 incidents of theft, including 15 uniforms, last year alone, but would not disclose the monetary value.

Justine Curran, Assistant Chief Constable of Greater Manchester Police, which had almost £50,000 of goods stolen from police premises in the past three years – including a small samurai sword and four tyres – said: “While any theft is unacceptable, most of the items stolen are of a reasonably low value, with the exception of one incident where a £30,000 car was stolen.

“Measures are in place to stop thieves taking police property, including CCTV at all sites, electronically operated barriers and security codes on doors. Security checks are also routinely carried out at police stations, both inside and outside the premises.

“Any theft, whether at a police station or elsewhere, is treated with the same professional standards and is thoroughly investigated to identify offenders and recover property.”

West Midlands Police said that the force’s use of “capture cars” [decoy vehicles used to detect vehicle crime] boosted its stolen items total. A spokeswoman said: “West Midlands Police is proactive in the use of capture cars as a means of intelligence and detection for motor-related offences. As a consequence, the victim in such offences would be listed as West Midlands Police, as the car or property stolen from within it is owned by the force.

“However, West Midlands Police is eager to learn any lessons it can to improve security around police premises and property. To put this into context, more police stations than ever before are open and the police service has invested heavily in up-to-date equipment to protect the public.”

Wiltshire Police said that it took all instances of theft “very seriously”, regardless of where they happened.

A spokesman said: “As is the case for any large organisation, we are not invulnerable to theft and it does occur on police premises occasionally. The security of police premises is something we take extremely seriously and when we experience theft we will look to see if action needs to be taken and will modify our working practices as appropriate. We also have staff responsible for the security of our premises and as part of that role they are always reviewing our property to ensure it is as safe as is can be.”

On average, only one third of thefts committed on police premises were solved.

Matthew Sinclair, policy analyst at the TaxPayers’ Alliance, said: “It’s quite an achievement for the police to have so many crimes happening on their premises. Local people paying for the police want to know their money is being spent fighting crime, not replacing property lost to criminals under the noses of the police. Police need to improve their performance so they give value for money.”

A spokeswoman for the Association of Chief Police Officers said: “Like any large organisation, police premises can suffer incidents of crime. This is despite our own tight security measures.

“While we encourage police officers to be vigilant about making sure that items are stored securely, it is impossible to protect against all criminal acts. However, all incidents are thoroughly investigated and appropriate action taken.”

Times Recommends

• Charles blazes trail as sun king
• Thalidomiders win payout 50 years on
• Libel gag on talk of 'medical hurricane'