New blitz on car key burglars

Launching Operation Key Safe at the Craiglands Hotel in Ilkley yesterday, Detective Chief Inspector Roger Gasson said the county-wide operation follows a successful scheme in Keighley.

Det Chief Insp Gasson, of Keighley Police, said burglaries carried out to steal car keys had been drastically cut in the town since October last year, due to a campaign which involved visiting burglary 'hot spots' to offer security advice.

Officers will be handing out stickers across the Bradford district with the slogan "My car keys are safe", to be displayed in vehicles and house windows. "The stickers tell thieves your keys are not an easy target," said Det Chief Insp Gasson. "This campaign is all about combating the latest trend in burglaries, where criminals gain entry to a house with the sole purpose of stealing the car parked in the driveway outside."

Det Chief Insp Gasson said high-powered cars were often the target. Because the vehicles were so secure, with immobilisers, criminals needed the keys to drive them away.

House doors were frequently left unlocked, allowing burglars easy access to property. And car keys were sometimes left highly visible on hooks or on tables, he said.

If the door was locked, a coat hanger or garden tool was usually used to try to hook the keys.

Detective Inspector John Birken-shaw, a West Yorkshire Police crime reduction officer, said vehicle owners could avoid being burgled for their car keys by: parking vehicles in garages if drivers had one; using crook locks, wheel clamps or other car security devices; keeping the car keys out of sight; and locking house doors and windows.

From October to December last year there were 720 reported burglaries to dwellings in West Yorkshire where offenders had taken car keys, then stolen the car.

Altogether 786 vehicles were stolen - in some cases more than one was taken. For further information telephone West Yorkshire Police on 0845 6060606 or Crimestoppers on 0800 555111.