Since Sunday 8 April 2018, there has been a further 14 incidents reported about theft, or attempted theft, from commercial vehicles in Harrogate.
Officers are particularly keen to trace the owners of a grey Jaguar X-Type which was seen in the area at the time of some of the incidents.
The areas that have been targeted include:
- Sunday 8 April – Electric Avenue when cable was stolen from outside a vehicle during the evening.
- Monday 9 April – St Andrews Road Harrogate when a stereo was stolen from a vehicle during the evening.
- Monday 9 April – when two young males wearing baseball caps were seen using a crowbar on a vehicle and seen leaving in an old style grey Jaguar X-Type at around 9pm.
- Monday 9 April – Walworth Ave Harrogate when a man wearing a baseball cap was disturbed and was seen leaving in a grey Jaguar X-Type at around 10pm.
- Monday 9 April – Stonefall Drive when £2000-£3000 worth of power tools were stolen from a vehicle.
- Monday 9 April / Tuesday 10 April – Ainsty Road when a Stihl saw was stolen from a vehicle and damage caused to the lock overnight.
- Monday 9 April / Tuesday 10 April – Gascoigne Crescent when a Makita grinder and batteries were stolen from a vehicle overnight.
- Monday 9 April / Tuesday 10 April – Hargrove Road when damage was caused to a lock overnight.
- Monday 9 April / Tuesday 10 April – Devonshire when power tools were stolen overnight.
- Monday 9 April / Tuesday 10 April – Regent Street when a Sat Nav and two Makita drills were stolen from a vehicle overnight.
- Wednesday 11 April – Eleanor Road when a van was broken in to, nothing was taken.
- Wednesday 11 April – Eleanor Road when offender gained entry to a vehicle, nothing was taken. An old style Jaguar X-Type was seen at around 11pm.
- Wednesday 11 April – Eleanor Drive when a Hilti Laser level and stand valued at £1000 were stolen overnight.
- Wednesday 11 April – Eleanor Road when passengers from a grey Jaguar X-Type were disturbed unloading tool boxes at round 11pm.
Commenting on the thefts, Inspector Penny Taylor of the Harrogate Neighbourhood Policing Team said:
Tools are extremely valuable possessions and when stolen, can impact hugely on small businesses and the livelihood of those who rely on them to carry out their work.
Since the weekend we have had a number of thefts, or attempted thefts, to unattended commercial motor vehicles in Harrogate which we believe could be is linked to cross border criminality.
We would like to remind all van owners to remove their tools from their vehicle when it is left unattended for long periods of time and overnight.
I would also like to reassure the public that we have a number of proactive resources deployed to Harrogate to support the local policing team. We want to catch those responsible as soon as possible.
We rely on information from members of the public in order to crack down effectively on this type of crime. Anyon with information about vehicle crime in Harrogate, or CCTV which may help our investigations, is urged to call North Yorkshire Police.
If anyone is offered tools for sale in suspicious circumstances, or sees anyone or any vehicle acting suspiciously, they should contact us on 101.
Alternatively, Crimestoppers can be contacted anonymously on 0800 555 111.
Van owners are being urged to follow these simple steps to prevent them from becoming a victim.
- Always check your doors are locked and alarmed before leaving your vehicle unattended.
- Consider fitting an after-market approved immobiliser.
- If you have a garage, please use it. If your van is parked on a driveway, consider installing security lighting. If neither of these are possible please try to park in well-lit areas.
- Keys should never be left in the ignition, in the same place where the vehicle is kept, or near the front door of your home – thieves know where to look.
- Don’t leave tools in vehicles unattended or overnight, and place a sign in the window stating they have been removed.
- It’s also advisable to get your tools property marked. Officers is Harrogate will be holding a free property marking event between 9am-12pm on Saturday 14 April. Further dates will be circulated via social media. For more information about property marking click here.
