Hertfordshire is second only to Greater London where UK shed break-ins are concerned, with 833 such offences last year alone.

The figure stood at 2,075 in the capital – an average of more than five thefts per day – while Cambs was in third place with 818.

North Yorkshire was the safest place to own a shed, with just 12 break-ins last year, followed by Merseyside (43) and Bedfordshire (51).

The most expensive individual thefts were in Cambridgeshire and Kent: in Cambs, a £28,000 tractor and £15,000 penny farthing were the highest-priced items stolen, while £23,000 worth of mountain bikes and a £15,000 pedigree dog were taken from sheds in Kent.

Jack Sutcliffe, co-founder of Power Sheds, who compiled the research from police data, said: "Shed break-ins are clearly very commonplace across the country and it’s something that all owners need to be aware of.

“There are plenty of things that shed owners can do to help ensure their shed is as safe and secure as possible, from adding extra locks or an alarm to purchasing a specifically built security shed.

"Putting these deterrents in place might not ensure complete protection against theft, but it’ll certainly make a big difference in keeping your items secure.”