‘Hook and cane’ burglary warning

POLICE are warning homeowners to keep their house and car keys secure and out of sight after a suspected ‘hook and cane’ burglary in Gotham.

It is believed a burglar used a cane with a hook on the end, putting it through the victim’s letterbox to reach their car keys before stealing their BMW.

It happened at a property in St Lawrence Close between 4pm on Tuesday, May 26, and 8am on Wednesday, May 27.

Inspector Craig Berry, Neighbourhood Policing Inspector responsible for local policing in the

Rushcliffe borough, said: “Our advice is people to avoid becoming a victim of this type of crime is to make sure that any house or car keys are never kept near any of your external doors or windows, or in porches or hallways, and that they are kept out of sight.

“If you have a keyless entry system to your vehicle we’d also advise you to find out if it can be switched off overnight, to prevent thieves using digital scanners from detecting and relaying its signal. Speak to your dealer about software updates and whether new key fobs with added security are available.

“Consider purchasing a Faraday pouch to keep your car key in. These pouches contain signal-blocking materials that stop your key transmitting its code, preventing crooks from being able to detect and amplify the signal. Don’t forget about your spare key!

“Make sure you test your signal blocking pouch or choose one that has the Secured by Design accreditation.”

More advice on keyless car security and general advice on protecting your vehicle can be found here https:// www. nottinghamshire. police.uk/advice/prevention/vehicle

Anyone who has any information about the Gotham car key burglary is urged to call Nottinghamshire Police on 101, quoting incident number 114 of 27 May 2020, or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.