Sleep with your car keys, say police

Officers want residents to keep vehicle keys out of sight after a recent rise in the number of “two in one” burglaries, where thieves break into the house to steal car keys, before stealing the vehicle they belong to.

A police spokesman said that “high valued vehicles” which are “virtually impossible to steal” were at the highest risk and urged owners to take extra care of their keys.

Det Insp Steve Whittaker, from the force’s Performance Crime Team, added: “We are doing everything we can to prevent and detect these type of offences and I would urge the public to assist us by removing their car keys from view and where possible take them upstairs to bed with them.

“We have had an increase in two in one burglary offences, and on nearly each occasion high valued vehicles are being taken usually as a result of the car keys being taken from the kitchen side or keys left in the door.

“I am urging residents to treat their car keys as they would any other expensive item and not leave them lying around the house.”

Anyone with information about this type of offence should contact police on 0114 2202 020.

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Tom Sharpe's motoring blog.