Police plea over street spate of vehicle crime
ASPATE of vehicle thefts and criminal damage around Southport’s Sussex Road area has prompted Merseyside police to appeal for information, with most occurring in the early hours of Thursday, January 23.
Carl Wright, 41, a technician at RD Wright Property Services, woke up to find the headlights and front grille of his Luton van missing. It was parked in a car park on the corner of Sussex Road and Ashley Road.
The dad-of-two said: “The headlights cost £500 each. They smashed the right window to get in, went straight for the bonnet hatch, popped the bonnet, got the grille off and took the headlights. I know a guy not far away in Crowland Street who had the front grille of his van taken off, too.
“It seems like an organised operation. To anyone who knows what they’re doing, it’s a quick job, and with mine they definitely knew what they were doing.”
A sports bag was also stolen from the van parked in Crowland Street.
Similar incidents were reported in Southport, as well as the Formby and
Ainsdale areas. Some witnesses reported seeing a man on a pedal bike shining a torch at vehicles.
In the early hours of the same day, three masked burglars broke into a home on Sussex Road via the back door and stole a Hyundai i30, one of two cars, from the driveway.
James Reed, 34, a senior account manager for BrodexTrident water, in Liverpool, was home with his fiancé and two children, aged 7 and 11, in bed, when the break in occurred. James said: “For me, what has happened was a lesson in education relating to home security and locks.
“I have a dog, cameras and at the time a decent locking system but, due to lack of knowledge that all EU PVC door locks are poor and can be broken into within minutes.”
The car was spotted around the Kirkdale and Bootle areas of Liverpool a few days later; however CCTV and witness enquiries are still ongoing.
Community Policing Inspector Graham Fisher said: “We have had an increase in thefts from vehicles in the last week, which is obviously of concern to victims and a priority for our officers. Most of these incidents have been unwitnessed but we will act on all information given to find those responsible and put them before the courts.
“I’d appeal to anyone who has seen suspicious behaviour in the area in recent nights to come forward, both with any descriptions, home CCTV or dashcam which may have been activated by such activity. There are also a few steps you can take to prevent being an easy target. Don’t leave valuables or other visible items on display in your vehicles, fit good locks and alarms on both vehicles and homes, and these areas will quickly become difficult for criminals to operate.
“You can read about various measures you can take on our force website. If a crime is in progress, always call 999, but you can also pass information via @MerPolCC, 101 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111. You can also follow @ SeftonPolice on Facebook and @MerPolNthSefton on Twitter for updates, advice and events.”
For more information about how to protect your home and vehicle, please visit www.merseyside. police.uk/cp/crime-prevention/residential-burglary/