Car thieves targeted one area of Merseyside over the weekend.
Merseyside Police confirmed it is investigating car key thefts in Southport after an Audi and BMW were both stolen. In both cases the cars were taken after offenders forced the lock of rear doors/patio doors of homes to gain entry and steal the car keys.
In a similar incident of attempted burglary, car keys were stolen but not the car. CCTV is currently being examined from the incidents and others that police believe may be connected.
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Those who live in the area may receive a letter in the near future asking if they witnessed anything or have any information that may assist officers in their investigations. Sefton Police Facebook page has now issued a warning to those across the borough as criminals look to be targeting cars of value along with anything valuable left inside the vehicles.
A post published by the local police page also warned that cars that are left unlocked overnight are also being identified and targeted by criminals.
The page issued the following guidelines to follow to minimise the likelihood of being the victim of crime:
- "Lock your car EVERY time you leave it – Get in the habit of clicking the lock on the fob TWICE to ‘deadlock’ the doors.
- "Keep your keys out of sight once you have locked your vehicle. Keep keyless ignition fobs in a tin, away from doors and windows. Be aware that visitors to your home may notice where keys are left, and sneak thefts are common at both the front and rear of houses.
- "If you have a car alarm, use it.
- "For high value/prestige cars, take greater precautions such as trackers and immobilisers.
- "For ALL vehicles, ‘low tech’ immobilisers like wheel clamps, gear stick or steering locks are an affordable method to deter thefts.
- "Use a property marking system such as Smartwater, Datatag or similar to help deter thefts and identify stolen vehicles and parts and especially tools.
- "If you have a garage use it – break-ins of cars that have been locked away in the garage are almost unheard of.
- "Add a garage/shed alarm.
- "When out, park your car in a well-lit area.
- "Especially do not leave ANYTHING OF VALUE in your car; Wallets phones, laptops/Ipads, satellite navigation systems, tools etc. and always wipe the tell-tale marks off your windscreen that tell would be criminals that a sat nav ‘may’ be kept inside the vehicle.
- "Don’t even leave a coat or plastic bag on a seat.
- "Thieves hate two things; light and noise. So consider adding any measures that will light them up and draw attention to them.
- "Remember, whatever the age or condition of your car, or motorcycle, it may still be a target for thieves.
- "If you see suspicious activity around unattended vehicles dial 999 immediately.
- "Replace door lock barrels with ‘anti-snap’ barrels. These types of locks prevented the theft of one car recently.
- "Use patio door locks that secure the doors together.
- "Consider vibration alarms for doors and windows, to alert you that someone may be trying to force doors. These cheap alarms can also act as a deterrent.
"Don’t give thieves the opportunity to make you a victim of vehicle crime. If you have any information about who is committing vehicle crime in your area or where stolen goods are being stored you can call the police directly on 101 or contact Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111."
