With the days getting shorter and the nights drawing in, Police across South Division, which covers the areas of Preston, Chorley, South Ribble and West Lancashire, are warning people to make their belongings as hard a target as possible for thieves to hit.

Recently, there has been an increase in theft from vehicles across the division and the darker nights are often seen as perfect conditions for opportunistic thieves who are looking for an easy way to steal items of value from an unlocked or unattended vehicle.

Don’t make it easy for criminals – remove it or lose it!

Local Policing team Inspector, Dave Byrne, said: ‘As the nights get darker, thieves will be looking for any opportunity to take what doesn’t belong to them and will take advantage of people who leave their vehicle insecure. Don’t give them the opportunity.

“We will continue to proactively target thieves and would encourage people to take a couple of extra security steps to prevent themselves from becoming a victim of theft.’

Things that you can do to help protect your home and property:

• Check that your fob has done it’s job – always check the doors of your vehicle before you walk away.
• Take a dash cam or sat nav with you when leaving your vehicle.
• Never leave valuables in the glove box as this is the first place that thieves will look.
• Don’t leave shopping on view in your vehicle – make sure everything is out of sight.
• Fit an alarm or immobiliser.
• If you have a garage, use it for your vehicle.

For more advice on how to keep your home and property safe and secure, visit: Lancashire Constabulary - Lancashire Police - Burglary

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