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Police urge motorists to be vigilant following a spate of car thefts in Manchester
Police are urging motorists to be vigilant following a spate of car thefts in Manchester. Between Wednesday 11 January 2012 and Monday 16 January 2012, four car thefts and an attempted car theft took place in the Collyhurst, Hyde and the city centre area. The first happened on Wednesday 11 January at 6.05pm on Dale Street car park. The victim was putting bags in the back of his Audi A4 when he was approached by three men. He was hit at the back of the head and they demanded his keys. He managed to throw them in a nearby canal before the men made off with the bags and personal property. At 5.35pm on Friday 13 January, a victim was getting inside his Audi A4 at Great Jackson Street car park when three men approached her and demanded his car keys. She was punched in the face and one man holding a paving slab, pretended to drop it on her head. They took the keys and drove off. At 6pm on Sunday 15 January, the victim had stopped his Audi A5 on Dowson Road, Hyde when a man holding a knife approached and demanded he got out. He attempted to drive off and saw a second man holding an axe, hitting his rear window. The front window was then smashed before the victim got out and the men drove off. The fourth incident took place on Monday 16 January as the victim got inside her Audi A3 on Dalton Street, Collyhurst and locked the door. Three men approached the car and smashed the window and demanded she got out. She was hit in the back with a metal bar before the men drove off. The men are described as being white, between 5ft 5in and 6ft tall, in their 20s and had their faces covered. Detective Constable Paul Shacklady from North Manchester CID said: “Due to the types of car that have been targeted and the aggressive nature in which they have been stolen, we believe these crimes are linked. “The victims have obviously been left distressed after their ordeals and are struggling to come to terms with what happened. “I would urge anyone who may have witnessed the incidents take place or heard anyone boasting about these types of cars being stolen to contact police as soon as possible. “Understandably, residents will be concerned about these thefts, but I can assure them that we have a dedicated officer who is working on this and we are determined to bring those responsible to justice.” Anyone with information should phone police on 0161 856 3566 or the independent charity Crimestoppers, anonymously, on 0800 555 111. TIPS TO HELP AVOID FALLING VICTIM TO A CAR JACKING If you feel at risk or vulnerable, lock all doors. Always wear a seat belt as this makes it harder for a robber to pull a driver out of the vehicle. When returning to your parked car, remain aware of your surroundings and do not use a mobile phone, which reduces your awareness of what is going on around you. If you have remote locking, only open the doors when you are at the vehicle. If the vehicle is being left unattended, lock it and take the keys with you. Never leave bags, coats, briefcases, laptops, on view, even when the car is occupied - put them in the boot. Don't leave the keys where they can easily be reached by thieves, for example on a table near to the door or on a window sill. Don't leave keys in an unattended coat pocket or on view in bags. If you are unfortunate enough to become the victim of car-related robbery, don't offer any resistance but try to remember as much detail as possible about the offenders and the circumstances of the incident. Due to problems with spam only SalfordOnline members can now leave comments. Becoming a member of SalfordOnline only takes a minute, just hit the red Join Us button at the top right hand side of the page to create your Personal account. Got a news story? Need help with publicity for an event in Salford? Send it to newsdesk@salfordonline.com or call the SalfordOnline newsdesk on 0161 789 5377. |
