Police 'turn to car crime'

The fight against car crime is never likely to end, so the police force has seemingly adopted an 'if you can't beat them, join them' policy - by breaking into cars parked on the street.

Of course, the purpose isn't to steal, rather to give haphazard drivers a very real warning about the dangers of leaving their cars unlocked and valuables on display. In a technique that mimics the BBC television show 'The Real Hustle', undercover officers are opening cars that have been left unlocked, taking out the valuables and leaving a note on the driver's seat. The red-faced owner will get their possessions back after using the contact details on the note.

Only cars with doors left unlocked or windows left open are targeted - the police haven't yet resorted to smashing car windows and picking locks to get their message across. But items left in unsecured cars and subsequently taken by police include high-priced satellite navigation systems and car radios.

The technique, pioneered in Richmond, West London, is proving so successful that the force is thinking about spreading it out across the country. So watch out, because you never know when an officer might be loitering around your car with intent.

Mark Nichol