UPDATE | Stolen cars and parts seized at industrial unit in Aintree some from Southport

A report was received on New Year’s Day (Tuesday 1 January 2019) that a Mercedes car had been stolen from a driveway on Waterloo Road, Southport overnight. The car had been fitted with a tracker and was tracked to the industrial estate.

Upon arrival at the warehouse on Sugar Street on 2 January, patrols found the car alongside a number of other vehicles and vehicle parts suspected to have been stolen.

An extensive and thorough investigation has been ongoing since, and forensic examination of vehicles and parts continues.

As part of those enquiries, police have re-attended the location following the receipt of information from the community and further vehicles have been identified as suspected of being stolen.

A van containing vehicle parts has also been seized, alongside a car which was found in a car park on site and suspected of being stolen and two off-road bikes.

Officers remain at the scene and crime scene investigators are gathering forensic evidence.

Detective Sergeant Alan Nuttall said: “Our officers have done a great deal of meticulous forensic work since the cars were discovered in January, and they continue to work tirelessly to gather intelligence, identify offenders and reunite any stolen cars with their owners.

“Yesterday’s activity is the result of that work, and officers will now carry out more forensic examinations and, we hope, get stolen cars back in the hands of their rightful owners.

“We are grateful for the co-operation of Centaur Properties and will continue to work with all partners to tackle car theft, and regularly assess hotspot areas across the force, directing our resources accordingly.

“We work with partner agencies on a raft of measures to prevent vehicles from being stolen, including the improvement of street lighting, roads policing operations when we stop cars and check ownership details, as well as license and insurance information. Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) is also employed to help officers detect, deter and disrupt car thieves.

“Our community teams continually work to ensure safety messages are reinforced with residents about ensuring their vehicles are safe such as parking in a well-lit area and keeping car keys out of sight.”

We would urge anyone who has any intelligence on anyone involved in this type of crime to contact Merseyside Police social media desk via Twitter @MerPolCC or Facebook Merseyside Police CC. You can also call 101 or contact the independent charity Crimestoppers anonymously, on 0800 555 111 or via their online form at: https://crimestoppers-uk.org/give-information/give-information.