Residents urged to be on their guard against car thieves in Newcastle

Police in Newcastle are warning residents to be vigilant against car thieves following a rise in thefts from vehicles.

Officers have seen an increase in items being stolen from vehicles in the Great Park and Gosforth areas of the city, with opportunist thieves often targeting cars that may have been left unsecured.

Officers are today calling on vehicle owners to be vigilant and not leave any items of value on show, or better still don’t leave items of value including house keys and documents in your vehicle.

Inspector Paul Cook, of Northumbria Police, said:

“Members of the public should make sure that they keep any valuables out of sight when leaving their vehicles.

“We have seen a rise in reports of thieves going around areas where a lot of cars are parked and seeing items on show and that is when they strike.

“Those with concerns around security concerning cars which use a push button start should, as a preventative measure, use a faraday pouch which blocks the signal from key fobs.

“There have only been a small number of high-end vehicles targeted in this way across the force as they require specialist devices and technology to facilitate entry by replicating the signal.

“We have also seen a rise in thefts of electric bikes, so if you have one of these please make sure they are secured when you are not using them.

“Officers carried out high-visibility patrols on Friday, February 24, which included some reality checking and engagement with a total of 27 residents in Great Park whose vehicles were found to be insecure.

“One of the vehicle owners was a victim of motor vehicle theft in December.

“These were potentially 27 victims of crime and the reason why offenders return to the locality to target vehicles.”

Insp Cook added:

“A lot of car thieves don’t have the time, nerve or technology to break into a vehicle – so please don’t make it easier for them by not locking up.

“We also rely on the public’s eyes and ears and would urge anyone who sees anything suspicious, in particular people trying car doors, to contact police and report it.”

Anyone with concerns of suspected offending can report suspicious behaviour or activity to police via the ‘Tell Us Something’ page of the police website or by calling 101.

In an emergency, always call 999.

Find out more information from what is happening in your own neighbourhood by signing up to Northumbria Connected. Visit the Northumbria Police website and search ‘Northumbria Connected’ for more information.

Hear all the latest news from across the UK on the hour, every hour, on Greatest Hits Radio on DAB, smartspeaker, at greatesthitsradio.co.uk, and on the Rayo app.