Police urge motorists to keep cars locked after spate of thefts in Clitheroe and Chatburn

There has been a spate of car break ins in Clitheroe and Chatburn recently and police are advising residents and car owners to be on their guard of the methods used by opportunist thieves.

Sgt Kevin Day, of Ribble Valley Police, has been investigating the incidents. In a Facebook post, he said: "We have had a significant amount of thefts from motor vehicles recorded in the Clitheroe and Chatburn area over the last few nights and we are doing everything that we can to try and identify those involved.

"Many of you have helped by providing images from CCTV cameras and your Ring style doorbells. We have been reviewing the footage and looking for images that may provide an opportunity to identify the thieves.

"The night patrols have been tasked with ensuring that they cover as much ground as possible and that they react swiftly to any reports of thefts or suspicious circumstances. Please report anything that you aren't happy with. We would rather attend and discover that there is no issue than not have the information in the first place and find ourselves with many unhappy car owners.

"The footage here is not sufficient for identification purposes, but I have added it to demonstrate the method used by these individuals.

"In short - they go from car-to-car checking the door handles and when they strike lucky they take what they can. The first line of defence here is to ensure that your car is locked. We do not believe that any sophisticated equipment is in use to open locked cars.

"There were car windows smashed to get at property that had been left on view which further confirms our belief that these are not technically equipped criminals.

"Please, please check and double check that your property is secure and don't leave anything in view for the thieves to be tempted by."