A recent spate of opportunistic thefts from vehicles in the Weymouth and Portland area has prompted the police to issue advice to keep your property safe.

Weymouth and Portland Neighbourhood Policing Team are reminding motorists to be extra vigilant.

To avoid becoming the victim of theft from your vehicle they advise the following:

  • Never leave your keys in the ignition or unattended even when you are getting petrol or de-icing your vehicle.
  • Ensure all doors, and the boot of your vehicle are locked before you leave it. Before leaving your vehicle also check that you have not left any windows or the sunroof open.
  • If your vehicle has wing mirrors that fold in automatically when locked, make sure you lock it properly. Criminals are looking for vehicles like these where the wing mirrors are still out because it is clear to them that the vehicle has been left unlocked.
  • Don’t leave any valuable items such as sunglasses, mobile phones, Sat-Navs, shopping, blue badges or documents in your vehicle and if you have no option but to leave items in the vehicle then hide them from view.
  • If you keep coins in your vehicle (for example to cover parking costs) keep them in a closed ashtray or hidden compartment within the vehicle.
  • When parking outside your home make use of your garage or driveway if you have them otherwise try and park in a place that is well-lit and overlooked or on a busy road.

For further crime prevention tips see https://orlo.uk/66Fan