Police have posted signs on a road in Handforth warning drivers not to leave property in their cars.The action follows a spate of thefts from vehicles in the Wilmslow Road area.
Cars driven by business people and parked at hotels and pubs have been a particular target. Laptops, phones and other electrical equipment, as well as cash and cards have been stolen.
Sergeant Andy Gardner, from Wilmslow Neighbourhood Policing Unit, said, “A bit of thought could have prevented a lot of these thefts. People are leaving high-value property in their cars when it would be very easy to take it out.
“Putting valuables out of sight has always been a basic rule, but laptops and some other modern equipment are still vulnerable even in the boot. They give out signals which can be picked up on Bluetooth tracking equipment. The only sensible precaution is to take them out of your vehicle every time you park.
“This is a main arterial route from Manchester so it is obviously going to be a bit more vulnerable than some other places. You might expect drivers would take a few extra precautions, but that is not always the case. On one night recently we had reports of thefts from four cars in this area. All of the vehicles had been left unlocked.
“In Cheshire Police Eastern Area a specialist vehicle crime unit put a lot of effort into identifying arresting criminals. They have a lot of success but with a little more care from drivers, many of these crimes simply would not happen.”
