Police in Flintshire issue warning over recent ‘car key’ burglaries

Officers from North Flintshire police team are warning householders about recent car key burglaries. ‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌​

Offenders broke into houses in Flint and Holywell to steal car keys and make off in the owners cars. ‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌​

Several warnings have been put out recently both in North Wales and Cheshire due to a spike in car-key burglaries which has seen owners of high performance models targeted. ‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌​

North Wales Police say that there has been an increase in thieves targeting Audis, BMW’s and Volkswagen Golf Type R’s and GTI’s ‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌​

Thieves either break into houses looking for car keys or use wires and hooks to try and drag keys through the letterbox. ‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌​

Many of these offences are preventable say police with the offenders gaining entry to the house via an insecure door or window. ‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌​

Police advice is to try and make it as difficult for the thieves by locking doors and windows, hiding car keys from view, put physical obstructions in the way of cars so that it cannot be moved, close garden gates. ‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌​

A police spokesperson said: ‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌​

“Professional car thieves can easily sneak into an insecure property to take vehicle keys. ‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌​

Sometimes they don’t even need to go inside – clever criminals can reach in through letterboxes or open windows and hook the keys right from where you left them.” ‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌​

7 ways to protect yourself:

1. Keep your keys in a safe place away from doors and windows – if they can be seen, they can be stolen.
2. Park your car inside a locked garage.
3. If you park on a driveway, fit a lockable gate.
4. Once you’re in the house, lock the door behind you.
5. Install security lights at the front and back of your home.
6. Set up CCTV cameras.
7. Invest in a quality home security system.

1. front and back of your home.
2. Set up CCTV cameras.
3. Invest in a quality home security system.

If you see someone acting strangely, report it to us. Call 101 – or if it is an emergency, 999. ‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌​

If you have information about a burglary you can pass it to us anonymously by calling Crimestoppers on 0800 555111. ‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌​

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