Interestingly, following on from the last blog post, police in St Helens are investigating a series of vehicle thefts in the locality over the summer period. They have warned motorists that they should not leave keys in ignitions.

Apparently, thieves have targeted small vans such as the Fiat Ducato, Citroen Berlingo and the Ford Transit. Owners have either left their keys in the van’s ignition or close by.

Twenty-four vans have been stolen since the start of May in the area due, in many instances, to them not being secured correctly.

The latest theft of a van involved a property maintenance company’s Ford Transit van in which an employee had left the keys in the ignition while unloading a barrow from a trailer attached to the van. The vehicle was driven away and has not been recovered.

DI Jerry Harris from St Helens CID, commented: “We are determined to crack down on this and a great deal of work is being done to catch the culprits.

“We are also trying to raise awareness among vehicle owners about how to prevent this happening in the first place.

“Too many people are making life too easy for thieves by leaving their cars and vans unlocked or, worse still, their keys in the ignition. This is giving criminals the opportunity to either help themselves to valuables left on display or actually drive the vehicle away.”

If this has been happening regularly in the St Helen’s area would anyone like to share his or her similar experience from elsewhere in the country?

The other thing to bear in mind here is that if you were to leave your keys in the ignition and the van unattended, then, should it be stolen, your van insurance is unlikely to pay out. This will further compound what is already an unsatisfactory situation. A van is often the lifeblood of your business as without it many tradespeople, for instance, would be unable to run their business thus impacting on cash flow and of course their own personal income.

Source St Helens Police Force: August 2012