Shropshire Star

Expensive tools are 'targeted by gangs' in Shropshire and Mid Wales

A cross-border effort has been launched to clamp down on a spate of "targeted" break-ins that have seen thieves take expensive tools from vans.

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Both Dyfed-Powys Police and West Mercia Police are working with councillors and communities after a number of raids on either side of the Shropshire/Mid Wales border.

Local tradesmen working in Chirbury in Shropshire and Montgomery and Newtown in Powys have been victims of the break-ins in recent weeks.

Shropshire Councillor Heather Kidd, who represents Chirbury and Worthen, believes organised gangs could be at work.

She said: "We've had two break-ins in my village (Chirbury) and one in neighbouring Montgomery this week and identical break-ins two weeks ago.

"From speaking to the police it seems that there is quite a serious spate of this going on across our area. Newtown alone has had 12 incidents over the last few days.

"The pattern is the same. Thieves target vans of tradesmen using a universal key fob which can access doors of vans and they steal tools. I understand that several thousand pounds worth of kit has been stolen in our area recently.

"Disturbingly, they come back two weeks later and break in to the same vehicles again.

"We obviously have a gang which is targeting parts of Shropshire at the moment.

"I strongly urge residents to follow police advice and take anything of value out of your vans before you leave it for the night and/or consider changing the locks.

"Living in relatively sparsely-populated rural area is no guarantee to protect you from this kind of activity."

Temporary Chief Inspector Matt Scrase of Dyfed-Powys Police said: "We have received a number of reports of thefts from vans.

"This is a national issue and Dyfed-Powys Police is working with other forces and partners as appropriate and are focused on investigating incidents and deploying patrols to deter further occurrences in the Powys area.

"Anyone with any information is asked to contact 101, or Crimestoppers anonymously by calling 0800 555111."

High-tech devices that can override a vehicle's locking mechanism without causing any damage have been used elsewhere in the country to steal high-performance vehicles.

The devices, known as jammers, block the signal sent from the key fob to car, meaning it stays unlocked.

  • A 32-year-old man from the Shropshire area has been arrested in connection with thefts from vans in the Montgomery area of Powys between October 19 and 20. He has been bailed pending further inquiries.

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