CAR thefts across the area have reached epidemic proportions.

Despite the high profile YorKeys Campaign - aimed at persuading people to keep their house and car keys hidden - more and more cars are stolen from Wharfedale and Aireborough every week.

Peter Krushniak, neighbourhood watch liaison officer at Weetwood Police Station said people must learn to keep their houses locked and keys hidden at all times.

Between Tuesday last week and Sunday, nine cars, including two that were brand new, were reported stolen.

All had been taken after thieves had either broken into houses, used instruments to pull keys through catflaps or letter boxes, or sneaked in through open doors.

Mr Krushniak said: "The number of cars being stolen has almost reached epidemic proportions. People must learn to be more vigilant.

"They must keep their doors locked at all times, even if they're inside, and they must learn to hide their car keys away from sight.

"Thieves are using all sorts of instruments to hook keys from kitchen tables and worktops. It's not good enough to put them out of reach, they must also be kept out of sight."

l Overnight on Tuesday and Wednesday last week a sneak-in thief got into a house in Briarlea Close, Yeadon, stole the keys to a Vauxhall Vectra and then drove off. At 2.55am on Wednesday last week, thieves smashed the glass panel of a door and hooked three sets of keys off a kitchen table. They escaped with a Vauxhall Vectra and a Toyota Celica.

l Overnight on Thursday and Friday last week at Henshaw Crescent, Yeadon, keys to a Ford Escort were taken from a kitchen worktable.

l Overnight on Friday and Saturday last week, thieves put a pole through a cat flap in a house in Dinsdale Buildings, Yeadon and hooked keys left on a kitchen table. They got away with a Ford Ka.

l In the early hours of Saturday morning, house keys were hooked through the letter box of a house in Rose Avenue, Horsforth. Thieves then entered the house and stole the keys to a Vauxhall Corsa.

l At 4am on Sunday, a glass window pane of a house in Thorntons Dale, Horsforth was broken and the keys to a Toyota car taken.

l In the early hours of Sunday morning, a Toyota Raf4 and a Toyota Yaris, both new, were taken after thieves got into a house in Oxford Road, Guiseley, and stole the keys.

YorKeys, a joint West Yorkshire and North Yorkshire campaign was launched in Otley earlier this year. It was a police attempt to tell people that an increasing number of thieves were stealing car keys from insecure houses or from where keys could been seen.