Spate Of Vehicle Crime In Blakedown, Near Kidderminster

Police are appealing for witnesses after a series of thefts from vehicles in the same street in Blakedown near Kidderminster.

The thefts happened on drives in Belbroughton Road, Blakedown, between Wednesday evening, 14 December, and yesterday morning, Thursday 15 December.

Tools worth £2,000 worth of tools, including a £400 chainsaw and a £450 Bosch electric drill, were stolen from a Fiat Scudo van on one drive, while £40 cash, a TomTom sat nav worth £120, and a pair of prescription sunglasses worth £470 were taken from a Volkswagen Golf on another drive.

A rucksack and £5 cash were stolen from a Volkswagen Passat on a third drive, and there was also an attempt to get into a Ford Mondeo parked outside another house.

Investigations into how the vehicles were broken into are ongoing, but it is believed several may have been left insecure.

West Mercia Police's Crime Reduction Advisor for Worcestershire, Peter Aston, said cars should be parked in a secure garage where possible, and it was essential to ensure windows were closed, doors locked, and any alarms or immobilisers set.

Valuables including sat navs and other valuables, as well as tools, should be removed from vehicles overnight.

Other advice includes property marking sat navs and tools, for example with a forensic marking solution, noting the manufacturer and serial number, and registering items with the national property register, Immobilise (http://www.immobilise.com/).

Stop - All Valuables Have Been Removed postcards which can be displayed in vehicles are available to download from West Mercia Police's website, http://www.westmercia.police.uk/, and the website also contains crime prevention advice.

Witnesses or anyone with information are asked to contact PC James at West Mercia Police on 0300 333 3000 or ring Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555111.

Issued: Friday, 16 December 2011