Warning to remain vigilant following spate of Fiat 500 thefts

Officers are reminding the public to remain vigilant following a spate of Fiat 500 thefts in East Staffordshire recently.

Since Friday (3 March), nine separate incidents were reported involving Fiat 500 and Fiat 500 Abarths in Burton-on-Trent – including three thefts and six attempted thefts.

Offenders appear to be targeting the cars typically between 4pm and 2am and have been forcing entry into the vehicles on a number of different car-parks in the area, including High Street and Octagon Centre.

A white Fiat 500 was reported stolen at 7pm on Friday 3 March after the owner had parked it on Lichfield Street car-park. Unknown suspects forced entry whilst the car was left unattended and drove it away from the area without the keys.

Another white Fiat 500 was also stolen without keys from a street near Sycamore Road, between the hours of 11.30am yesterday (Wednesday 8 March) and 10.20am this morning (Thursday 9 March).

A separate theft was also reported at 11.05pm yesterday after a white Fiat Abarth was stolen, without keys, from the driveway of a home near Mount Street.

Detective Inspector Andy Bryan, from CID, said: “We understand the devastating impact this type of crime can have on residents and businesses and we’re continuing to work hard to apprehend those responsible. It’s not only the hassle and inconvenience, but also the financial implications which people face as a result of vehicle crime.

“Our dedicated vehicle crime team are continuing to proactively police our roads as part of our Operation Bormus initiative to target this area of criminality and protect the hard-earned belongings of our community.”

There are a number of ways you can protect your car from thieves, including:

• When leaving your car unattended, try and make sure you are parked in a well-lit area which is covered by CCTV and consider using a steering lock for extra security
• Consider storing your electronic key fobs in a faraday pouch to stop the signal from being cloned
• Double check your car has locked when you are using an electronic key
• Never leave your vehicle unattended to de-ice

For more important tips on how you can protect your vehicle from opportunists, visit: Preventing car and vehicle theft | Crime Prevention | Staffordshire Police