Police recover four cars stolen in series of burglaries
Two people have been arrested after police recovered four cars
stolen in a series of burglaries in Colchester and Clacton.
Detectives are appealing for residents to be vigilant over home
security following the burglaries which happened within two days
and saw thieves break into homes specifically to take keys to cars
parked outside.
Two of the burglaries happened at Clacton and were reported to
police on Tuesday, January 24. A Ford Focus and a computer were
taken from an address in Westridge Way and a Fiat Punto and cash
were stolen at Purley Way.
A Mini Cooper car, two mobile phones and other items were taken
during a burglary at Gavin Way, Highwoods, Colchester between
January 21 and 23 and a Ford Focus, a camera and jewellery were
taken from an address in Gainsborough Drive, Lawford in the early
hours of January 24.
All four cars have now been recovered by police and two people
have been arrested on suspicion of burglary and are currently in
custody being questioned by detectives. Two of the cars were
found in St Osyth and the other two in Clacton.
Three other burglaries where cars were not taken were reported at
Gainsborough Drive, Lawford, Cotman Avenue, Lawford and at Gavin
Way, Colchester. An attempted burglary was reported at Westridge
Way, Clacton.
DI Mark Watson, said: "Burglaries in which cars are the target
are thankfully quite rare in the Colchester and Tendring areas but
we still urge people to be on guard.
"In the majority of cases houses have been broken in to via UPVC
doors or windows because these have not been properly secured when
the householders have gone to bed.
"While high value cars are always going to be a target for
criminals, we have found it is not solely these vehicle which have
been stolen.
"I urge people to ensure their properties are secure and do as
much as possible to prevent themselves becoming a victim of this
crime.
"In one of the burglaries we believe that the thieves used some
sort of stick or pole through the letterbox to hook car and house
keys on a shelf nearby. All keys should always be hidden away.”
Residents are urged to follow the advice below issued
by our crime reduction officers:
- Fit a five lever mortise lock on all external doors
- For UPVC doors, always lock a door by lifting the handle up and
double locking to secure, just lifting the handle will not lock the
door
- For all other doors and windows, fit secure locks and take
extra care when locking up
- Make your property look occupied at all times. Use automatic
light timers
- Consider installing an alarm. Homes with alarms rarely get
burgled
- Consider installing external lighting
- When leaving the property remove keys from locks and place out
of sight
- Avoid leaving car keys near a door or window where they can be
seen
- Lock your car in a garage or behind a locked gate if
possible
- Consider purchasing a tracker device for your vehicle
Anyone requiring any crime prevention information can contact
their local crime reduction officer by contacting Essex Police on
101.