Plea over Bradford car thefts (From Bradford Telegraph and Argus)

Plea over Bradford car thefts

9:53pm Thursday 7th March 2013 in News

Owners of expensive and rare cars across Bradford are being warned to step up their security in a bid to beat Hanoi-style burglaries.

West Yorkshire Police Force Crime Reduction officer Christopher Joyce said despite a lot of work by them to stop motorists falling victim to them, they still happen in significant numbers.

Since February, 2011, there have been 3,106 hanoi-style burglaries across the West Yorkshire Force region.

Hanoi burglaries, also known as ‘2-in-1burglaries’ are when thieves sneak into a house through unlocked doors or windows to steal keys before escaping in the vehicle.

Neighbourhood Policing Team Officers on patrols are looking out for properties which have expensive or rare cars parked outside but appear to have a low level of home security.

“What we often find is that many people take great pride in their cars and like to spend a lot of money on them, but often do not pay the same attention to their home security,” said Mr Joyce.

Police say park cars in a garage if possible and keep car keys out of view. Lock the car and use a wheel clamp. And make sure the house is secure.