Mystery of car thieves’ powdery calling card
PAVEMENT BEHIND TARGETED VEHICLE
THIEVES were filmed on CCTV cameras breaking into a car belonging to a church in Leicester city centre - and leaving behind a bizarre calling card.
The crooks smashed the driver’s side window of a silver Peugeot 308 outside Holy Cross Church and Priory, in Wellington Street, in the early hours of Tuesday, December 21.
Three individuals can be seen approaching the vehicle, which was parked off the road opposite the Dover Street junction – just a few hundred yards from Leicester Crown Court.
While two of them spend some time shining torches into the car, security cameras show the third - weighed down by several bags - purposefully sprinkling a yellow powder onto the pavement behind it.
Nothing was taken from the vehicle, but Father Luke Doherty, of Holy Cross Priory, contacted the Mercury to help warn other car owners in the area.
He said the incident, which has been reported to the police, happened shortly before 4.30am when the streets were deserted.
“It looks like there was a gang going around the Wellington Street area breaking into cars,” he said.
“Our priory car was broken into and it was captured on CCTV.
“There were three men, probably all in their 20s, wearing face masks.
“All three had bright torches and were searching the car for valuables.
“What struck me as a bit odd was that one of them poured a sort of yellow granular material where our car was parked on the pavement of Wellington Street.
“I don’t know if it might indicate it was part of a targeted series of car thefts and this yellow material was used as a marker for some kind of organised crime.”
The incident lasted a little over a minute before the trio wandered off in the direction of the city centre.
Father Luke said the only evidence left behind was an empty M&S shopping bag discarded by a wall.
He said: “One of the group was carrying shopping bags and a sports bag. They look quite heavy. I don’t know if that’s because they are full of valuables from other cars. There were no valuables left in our car, but the driver’s window was smashed. Broken into, right beside the sign which says ‘church car park.’
“I wouldn’t be surprised if there were other cars broken into last night and wanted to let people know.”
Police said they were investigating the incident. However, the force could not confirm if there were other car break-ins in the area around the same time.
A spokesman said: “A report was received that a Peugeot 308 parked in Wellington Street, Leicester, had been broken into. The incident is believed to have happened at around 4.15am.
“Anyone with information regarding the incident is asked to contact police, quoting reference 21*740839.”
He added that additional patrols will be carried out in the area by officers from the Central Leicester Neighbourhood Policing Area (NPA) over the Christmas period to reassure residents.
Anyone with information about those responsible for this incident, or other similar crimes, should call the 101 police number, or get in touch with officers using the force website.
YELLOW MATERIAL WAS LEFT ON THE