Police probe car thefts

A spate of car thefts has triggered Nelson police to alert motorists to make sure cars are locked and free of valuable items. Nelson police said they were investigating ‘‘several incidents’’ in which cars had been stolen while parked on the roadside or in public spaces. ‘‘Two young people have been placed before the Nelson Youth Court in relation to recent offending, however police believe there may be others involved and are continuing to investigate in an effort to hold those involved to account.’’ The police were ‘‘committed to actively investigating vehicle theft and holding offenders to account’’ but people ‘‘should take precautions to prevent their vehicle from being targeted. Ensure your vehicle is locked and all valuable items are removed or concealed.’’ Anyone seeing suspicious activity around vehicles should call police on 111 if it was in progress, or 105 after the fact.