Watch out for opportunist thieves this summer

People heading out in their car to enjoy a picnic at a local
beauty spot during the summer should make sure they lock valuable items
away and out of sight of opportunist thieves.
Thefts
After a spate of thefts from cars parked at beauty spots
across the UK, many regional police forces have issued warnings to motorists.
Insurer, NFU Mutual also says its own claims data showed that thefts
from cars rose by 16 per cent between 2014 and 2015.
Commenting on the subject, Nicki Whittaker, a High
Value Home Specialist at NFU Mutual said: “Many people will be shaking out
their picnic rugs and heading off to beauty spots across the UK this summer.
Unfortunately, while they are away from their vehicles, any valuable items
left on display may fall prey to opportunist thieves and we want to remind
people to remove these items or lock them away.”
Vulnerable Items
According to NFU Mutual, the items most commonly stolen from
cars are handbags, phones, satnavs, items of clothing and bikes.
Pic-Nickers
To help people avoid falling victim to ‘pic-nickers’ NFU
Mutual has produced the following list of security tips:
- Never
leave valuable items in your car – check that children haven’t
left phones or other items on the back seats of the car;
- If you
use a portable satnav device,
remove the device and its holder before leaving the vehicle – if
necessary, lock it in the glove compartment or in the boot;
- Remember
that satnav holders often leave tell-tale marks on the windscreen. It
helps to carry some window wipes in the car so you can remove these marks
before you leave the car;
- It
sounds silly but double check that you’ve locked the car and that all the
windows and sunroof are closed;
- Don’t leave cash, credit cards, chequebooks, mobile phones or other valuables in the car. Even a jacket or a plastic bag can tempt a thief. Hide any valuables in the boot of your car before you start your journey.