Local Crime Alert

In recent months there has been a significant increase locally in the numbers of thefts from houses and linked to that the theft of vehicles and/or their contents.

Thieves are breaking into houses and either stealing contents or vehicle keys and then taking vehicles away.

Chorley Police wish to draw this to your attention and ask that you take additional precautions to reduce the risk of something like this happening to you.

Always ensure all external doors are locked and keys removed, even if you are inside the house.

Make sure any other buildings on your property are as secure as you can make them, for example garages and garden sheds.

Ensure your vehicle(s) are properly locked and any valuable contents are removed from them.

Keep your vehicle keys with you at all times, do not make it easy for a thief to find them.

Owners of high value vehicles with keyless locking systems should ensure that key fobs are kept secure by taking measures to reduce the signal being emitted by your keys. It might seem extreme but one suggestion is to place them in the fridge, this will make the signal much harder to detect. Alternatively you could buy a “faraday bag” to keep them in and they can be purchased on the internet. There have been thefts in other areas where the codes have been obtained via an electronic device, allowing the vehicle to be driven away.

In addition to thefts from homes, there have been a number of attacks on commercial premises. If you notice something or someone suspicious, please notify Lancashire Police immediately either by calling "999" or using the "101" none emergency number.

The Lancashire Police website has useful advice about the above, please view at:

https://www.lancashire.police.uk/help-advice/property-safety/