Between April and September 2012, 216 motor vehicle thefts and an astonishing 555 cases of theft from vehicles were reported to police in Richmond upon Thames.
BMWs were the most commonly stolen cars, inline with the rest of the country, accounting for 35% of the total, whilst Piaggio scooters and Honda motorcycles finished runners up.
In terms of vehicle break-ins in Richmond, Twickenham, Teddington and surrounding areas, again BMW were the most common, with Mercedes, Ford and Volkswagen following on after.
The items stolen since April varied from cash, credit cards and sat-navs to mobile phones and power tools, totalling over £280,000 in value. Amongst other items frequently stolen were number plates, subsequently used to prepetrate other crimes.
The message is to never leave valuables on display in your car and always make sure it is locked.
Remember; if you don’t remove it, you may lose it.
