Biddulph vehicle owners urged to be vigilant

Since the New Year there have been 13 reported thefts from vehicles, including seven reported over the weekend.

Officers have stepped-up patrols in the area to deter would-be thieves and are urging motorists to make sure they secure their vehicles and remove valuables.

At around 11.30pm on Friday 24 January officers attended a report of a man in Sawyer Drive after he was seen trying car doors. They checked the area but no one was located. A bag of discarded, suspected stolen CDs, were recovered for forensic examination.

The next morning (Saturday 25 January) reports were received of thefts from vehicles in the following streets overnight:

• CDs, a steam cleaner and a box of clothing were stolen from a black Nissan Qashqai parked in Craigside
• CDs stolen and a radio damaged in a blue Fiat Idea parked in Potters End
• a Stihl hedge cutter and a Stihl blow vac were stolen from a red Vauxhall Combo van parked in Smokies Way
• a Tom Tom sat nav and police sunglasses stolen from an Audi A3 also parked in Smokies Way
• the front registration plate was stolen from a blue Ford Galaxy parked in Queens Drive

At around 1.50pm on Saturday 25 January inquiries led officers to recover a number of the stolen items discarded under a hedge in Craigside. Further discarded items were found in Sawyer Drive on Monday 27 January.

Some of the found items have not been reported stolen. Vehicle owners are asked to check their vehicles and report any missing property by calling 101.

Two further reports were received on Monday 27 January where items were stolen overnight between Sunday 26 January and Monday 27 January.

Power tools were stolen from a white Renault Traffic van while it was parked in Mayfield Road. Items taken include four red Hilti drills, a Tom Tom sat nav, a Nokia mobile phone, a Hitachi Sabre saw, a Hitachi grinder and an Aeg hammer drill.

Thieves stole a remote control car from a blue Austin Metro parked in Trent Grove.

Insp Jon Ward, LPT Commander for the Staffordshire Moorlands, said: “We suspect a number of the vehicles targeted were left insecure and this appears to be a case of an opportunist thief going out looking for easy targets.

“None of the six vehicles that were targeted had any apparent damage and at this time it is unknown how the offender/s have gained access to them.

“We have increased patrols of the affected area and are carrying out inquiries in the area to identify any potential evidence – if you know anything about these crimes please contact us.

“We’d like to issue a timely reminder to motorists to double check they have locked their vehicles and to remove all valuable items from them.

“Finally, please be vigilant and if you see any suspicious activity report it immediately, dialling 999 if you suspect a crime is happening there and then.”

Anyone who saw any suspicious activity over the weekend, or anyone who has any information on the thefts, is encouraged to contact Staffordshire Police on 101, quoting incident number 803 of January 24. Alternatively, they can contact independent charity Crimestoppers, anonymously, on 0800 555 111.