Keep Thieves Away And Your Valuables Safe & Secure

Police are advising residents in the West Mercia area to make sure the expensive gifts they received at Christmas are protected from thieves.

West Mercia Police is promoting the use of property marking and the Immobilise website, where you can register your valuable items for free. This includes Facebook advertisements targeting users in the West Mercia region and local policing teams across the force are giving out crime prevention materials this week and some holding property marking events.

Detective Sergeant Gary Rowe said: ""If you had a new laptop, mobile phone, iPod, bike or other high value item given to you for Christmas, for peace of mind we are recommending you take a few easy steps to make sure they are as safe as possible.

"You can property mark your valuables quickly and at very little cost by using forensic marking or ultra-violet marking tools, which are invisible to the naked eye and easily purchased. Take a photograph of them too.

"If the worst happens and they are lost or stolen, they will stand a much better chance of being returned to you and if you make it clear that items in your home are marked, it will also act as major deterrent to any would-be thieves or burglars.

"You can also register your gifts for free on the Immobilise website (www.immobilise.com). Suspected stolen items recovered by us are checked to see if they have been registered with the site, which is very easy to use.

"If an item is stolen and later recovered, being registered on Immobilise.com will not only will it help us return it to its owner, it will also help us to detect burglary and handling stolen goods offences and bring prosecutions against thieves."

• You can find out more about property marking and Immobilise in our online Advice Centre.

Issued: Monday 10 January 2011