Car number plates targeted by thieves in Shropshire and Mid Wales

Police believe gangs are removing number plates and using them to disguise cars used in thefts.

There is a particular link with thefts of fuel, because forecourts use number plate recognition to identify offenders.

West Mercia Police says it has received 429 reports of thefts of number plates in the last five years.

Dyfed-Powys Police says it is aware of 33 thefts over the same period.

For every theft of a number plate recorded, many others are believed to have gone unreported.

Dyfed-Powys Police says it is aware that one stolen number plate was used to steal fuel from petrol stations on two occasions.

The offenders replaced their registration plate with the stolen one, filled up with the fuel and then drove off without paying.

Officers tracked the number plate to a car owner, who revealed that the plate had been stolen.

West Mercia Police said it was unable to provide information on specific crimes committed with stolen plates.

Figures show that in 2009/2010 West Mercia had the highest number of registration plate thefts with 98 stolen during that time.

The numbers then dropped to 63 stolen plates in 2012/2013, but picked back up in 2013/2014 with 81 plates being taken off vehicles. It says there have been a further 40 thefts since April last year.

Abbey Hartley, of West Mercia Police, said: "Number plate theft is an offence we take seriously and keep a close eye on. The figures are improving, with Shropshire seeing 40 so far in the financial year of 2014-2015, compared with a total of 81 in 2013-2014 and 98 back in 2009-2010.

"Thieves steal the number plates of law-abiding motorists and use them to try to avoid detection when committing other crimes.

If caught, the offender could face imprisonment.

"It's important for the public to be vigilant and to tell us if their number plates are stolen.

"We also ask for the public to call 101 if they come across abandoned number plates, whether they are broken or even if they look like they have fallen off."

In 2010/2011 13 vehicles had their registration plates stolen in Powys, with the lowest number of thefts being in 2013/2014 with only two stolen.

Overall a total of 462 plates have been stolen across the county in the last five financial years.