DORSET Police will be setting traps for thieves this summer in an attempt to cut down on vehicle crime.

A force spokesman said ‘trap cars’ containing cutting edge surveillance equipment will be deployed in various locations throughout the county and will be in use 24 hours a day.

The cars’ surveillance systems will automatically start recording when someone breaks into the car and officers monitoring the vehicle will swoop in to catch the thieves red-handed.

Recorded evidence from the vehicles will be used as the grounds to arrest thieves.

A force spokesman said patrolling officers have recently found cars and vans left unattended and unlocked, with valuable items like laptops and satellite navigation systems on display.

Police are urging motorists to play their part in the crackdown by securing their vehicles and emptying them of valuables whenever they leave them unattended this summer.

Dorset Police said it aims to catch thieves through the use of ‘overt and covert tactics’.

The operation, running throughout the summer, will focus on potentially vulnerable Dorset locations including beauty spot car parks, residential areas and industrial estates.

Patrol officers will focus on preventing thefts through the distribution of crime prevention advice while undercover officers will be deployed to identify and arrest thieves.

Dorset Police Inspector Lance Cliff said: “My message to members of the public is clear: work with us by locking your vehicle and emptying it of valuables.

“This common sense approach, combined with our officers’ efforts and the use of trap car technology, will prevent thefts from vehicles in Dorset this summer.”

The latest figures show there have been fewer thefts from unattended vehicles since April 1 this year compared to the same period last year.