Car thieves warned in Cannock

Plain clothes police officers will be out in Cannock over the festive period as part of a campaign targeting would-be car thieves.

The Rat Trap campaign has been launched in response to thefts from vehicles across the district.

Police "rat traps" are being staged across the Chase division by officers in civilian clothes who will be poised to make arrests.

Officers will be targeting town centres and rural areas across the district in a bid to catch crooks trying to break into cars.

Drivers are also being urged not to leave any Christmas presents or valuables in their cars while they are out shopping, or visiting family and friends.

Detective Inspector Paul Bentley, from Chase division, said: "Staffordshire Police are committed to targeting car crime offenders and bringing them to justice.

"We would urge members of the public to help us catch these people by alerting us to any suspicious activity round parked vehicles."

Police say simple steps such as removing all belongings from cars, double checking that all doors and the boot are securely locked, and removing the covers of radio or CD players can help to deter would-be thieves.