Unusual loot taken from cars in N.Wales

THIEVES have targeted vehicles more than 3,300 times across North Wales in less than three years.

Since the start of 2016 they have stolen everything from tools, radios and jewellery to banjos, scrap metal, paper shredders and coal.

Other items stolen have included groceries, prescription drugs, a vacuum cleaner, a compass, shoes, signs, contact lenses, cosmetics and a ladder.

But, in that time, only 117 people were charged with an offence. The vast majority of recorded vehicle theft crimes – 2,833 – went unsolved.

The recorded crime figures were revealed following a Freedom of Information request and covered until the latest available data for 2018.

They also revealed vehicles parked around Wrexham were the most likely to be hit by thieves, who struck 879 times.

Second was Rhyl with 233, followed by Bangor (175), Caernarfon (144), Prestatyn (130), Mold (122), Deeside (118), Colwyn Bay (93), Holyhead (76) and Abergele (64).

The most stolen items were power and hand tools, with 55 incidents of people who had left purses, handbags or napsacks in vehicles targeted.

North Wales Police officers have continually warned people not to leave items in their cars saying: “Don’t leave items on view in your vehicle. Lock them away or better still, remove them.”