Wiltshire Police are reminding car owners in North Swindon to be vigilant following a series of car thefts in the area over the past three weeks.
The latest incident occurred at around 4am on Friday, July 24, when a car was taken from the driveway of a house in Standen Way.
The two suspects are believed to also be linked to two further incidents, one on the same date at around 3.30am when the two men were seen acting suspiciously around a vehicle in Ensor Close before being disturbed. (CCTV images relate to this incident.)
The third occurred on Friday, July 17, where a car was stolen from outside a house in Garnet Crescent at around 3.30am.
One man is described as white, between 25 and 35 years old, slim build, short, dark hair, with a beard and was wearing a surgical face mask, baseball cap and a dark coat with light coloured jacket with a circular logo on the sleeve.
The second man is described as a white male, between 20 and 30 years of age, average build, short, light brown hair, clean shaven and was wearing a surgical face mask, a dark coloured hooded top with the hood up and denim jeans, carrying a dark-coloured backpack.
Please bear in mind some crime prevention points to consider which could prevent a vehicle, which uses the keyless system, from being taken:
· Put the key card/fob in a Faraday case/pouch to block any transmissions
· Park the vehicle in a locked garage
· Install a parking post/bollard on the driveway
· Use an additional steering lock
· If you have a second, non-keyless vehicle, park that behind the high value one
· Check if your keyless fobs can be switched off
· Check with your car dealership as they can offer advice and the manufacturer/dealer can often track the vehicle if it is stolen.
· If the vehicle is a company car, check with your fleet managers who can offer crime prevention and tracking advice.
PC Pedro Wiltshire said: “In cases like these, thieves manage to get in to and drive the vehicle off by using a transmitting device which mimics the keyless fob.
“We’d urge vehicle owners about being extra vigilant and aware of this type of crime and where they leave their keys overnight.
“These measures are all about preventing the opportunist thieves and are all fairly cheap and simple measures to stop an offenders.”
Anyone with information should call 101. Alternatively, call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.
