Car thieves found operating in Birkdale after vehicle stolen

Police are investigating after two attempted burglaries and two actual burglaries took place in the area between Birkdale and Ainsdale last night.

The incidents took place on Windy-Harbour Road, Leybourne Avenue, Shaws Road and Stavely Road. A car was stolen from the driveway in one of the burglaries and it seems likely that cars were the intended targets at the other addresses. The incidents are all believed to have taken place between 4:00pm – 7:00pm

Some house to house inquiries were conducted at the time, but PCSO’s will be out today to continue making these enquiries in the affected areas, to try and find any other witnesses or possible CCTV which may help the investigations. If you get one of these letters, please ask all family members if they saw anything which may help.

The early dark nights present new opportunities for burglars and at this time of year, in addition to the attraction of high value cars, homes may have more high value items stored, ahead of Christmas. So it’s important to keep your home secure. Use our OPERATION CASTLE graphic to check your own home for any vulnerabilities, like outside lighting which is not working, or CCTV that needs attention and organise a routine for making sure all your doors and windows are locked at all times.

It can be easy to see which homes are likely to be empty, so make your home look occupied even when it isn’t and if you have high value vehicles, take extra measures to keep them secure, such as wheel clamps, steering wheel locks etc. Trackers are especially valuable for high value vehicles.

Always report any suspicious activity around your home or the homes of your neighbours. In an emergency, always dial 999.