Express & Star

'Expect to be caught' warning after number of cars stolen from Coseley railway station car park

Police have warned car thieves to 'expect to be caught' following a spate of thefts from Coseley railway station car park.

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Coseley Train Station car park

Locals have reported cars being taken from the station on a frequent basis in recent months, with some calling for more to be done to shore up the area in the Dudley Borough.

Between September and October, the Express & Star found four appeals on social media for information on vehicles taken from the station.

A White Ford Fiesta was taken on October 24, while a Black Ford Fiesta Titanium is believed to have been stolen on September 13.

The car park is managed by Transport for West Midlands and is free to park.

West Midlands Police has confirmed it is aware of the recent rise in car thefts at the station's car park.

Though the force does say this is not unique to Coseley and train station car parks across the country "have also been affected by the rise in vehicle thefts".

Sergeant Mike Sanders, from the Dudley North neighbourhood police team, said: "We understand the concern and frustration this causes people.

"Our Vehicle Crime Taskforce is heavily involved in investigating the rise in vehicle crime, therefore offenders can expect to be caught or woken by early morning police raids for their actions.

"In order to robustly tackle these crimes, we also need commuters to be the eyes and ears in the community and report any suspicious activity at station car parks immediately.

"We also advise motorists to use wheel locks, heavy-duty chain link or brake disc locks to make your vehicle less appealing to opportunistic criminals."

West Midlands Police launched its Vehicle Crime Taskforce last month, in response to increasing numbers of car thefts in the past year.

Office for National Statistics (ONS) data on crime in the West Midlands revealed that incidents of car theft increased by a quarter from June 2021 to June 2022.

Detective Superintendent Jim Munro, who heads up the Taskforce, said: "Having a vehicle stolen can cost livelihoods and cause huge inconveniences in our everyday lives; from not being able to attend appointments or having to make other arrangements to get children to school.

"We’ll have plain-clothed officers supporting our visible police presence and will act on intelligence we receive."

More information can be found at west-midlands.police.uk/your-options/theft-motor-vehicle/#prevention

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