Dudley police take keys as cars warming up
Saturday 27th November 2010, 11:29AM GMT.
Police have taken the keys from more than 30 cars which were left warming up unattended outside their owners’ homes as the cold snap starts to bite – and thieves target easy pickings on frosty mornings.
Five cars were stolen in the Black Country yesterday as their owners left them to defrost.
Officers in Dudley removed the keys from more than 30 vehicles which they spotted unattended before returning them to their owners who had gone back inside their properties.
One grateful resident in Stourbridge even gave officers a box of chocolates after they returned the keys from her Lexus. The car was one of seven in one street that left insecure yesterday.
Inspector John Bostock said: “It only takes a moment for a thief to jump in. and insurance companies usually refuse to pay out in these cases.”
Five cars were stolen in similar circumstances in Coseley, Wall Heath, Sedgley, Tipton and Essington yesterday morning.
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I can’t believe people are so careless, no common sense
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Many years ago leaving cars to warm up unattended was the usual thing to do but the world and the people living in it have changed!
No longer is it safe to do this anymore and should YOU be a person who leaves your car warming up and unattended, expect it to be missing when you need it!
Thieves these days are looking for any opportunity to steal something for personal gain and ‘trusting’ motorists make an easy target.
You have been warned!
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maybe not, but this is a good way for them to learn their lesson while not losing their car.
It’s good that the police are pointing out how easy it is to fall foul of opportunist thieves. Everyone thinks it won’t happen in ‘their’ street/neighbourhood.
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I wonder how many of these people actually have garages – but prefer to fill the garage with junk and instead leave the car outside at the mercy of the elements (including the ice they have to spend ten minutes scraping off each morning).
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I know they are facing budget cuts, but surely they can afford to buy new pandas instead of knicking them!!!
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I am pretty sure your insurance will not pay up if you do get your car nicked as you have not taken adequate measures to secure it.
I used to live next to a shop and was amazed how many people left cars running while they popped in.
It is a sad reflection on our society that you can’t leave your stuff like this but it’s living in cloud cuckoo land to think this is a sensible thing to do.
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