FIRST: CATALYTIC CONVERTERS:
There is an epidemic across the Thames Valley. Another 4 stolen on Tuesday, mainly in Maidenhead, but one in Ascot. More on Wednesday and Thursday. The cars targeted - Honda Jazz, Honda Civic, Toyota Prius and now 2 Lexus’ as well.
WHAT CAN YOU DO TO PROTECT YOUR CAR ?
Always park in rearwards against a wall / garage door. This makes it harder for the thieves to jack the rear of the car up and get underneath.
Listen. This is a very noisy operation as they have to cut through the metal exhaust pie in front and behind the catalytic Converter, which then drops off. It only takes a few seconds, but cutting through the metal with a small cordless angle grinder / saw, is noisy - particularly in the early hours.
Phone us if you see or hear either of the above. In the reported cases, several of the owners woke up and heard the noise, but didn’t know what it was, so went back to sleep. NOW YOU KNOW !
Remain Alert - wherever you are, because some of these thefts are taking place during the day.
There is a marking scheme. You can have a plate attached to the Cat Converter, so that if it is stolen, it can possibly be identified and connected to your car - I am investigating that option. Unfortunately, it wouldn’t stop the Cat being stolen, as the thief will not see the plate until afterwards !
HELP US TO HELP YOU AND ALL OUR OTHER NEIGHBOURS, FRIENDS, WORK COLLEAGUES AND RELATIVES !
EYES AND EARS OPEN PLEASE. If you see a car with it’s rear jacked up in a residential location let us know. Often these are stolen openly during the day, so if you hear an angle grinder / saw attachment, let us know. It only takes seconds !
CAR TRACKING SYSTEMS
I have had this in from Jeff:
Hi
Regarding high performance vehicles having trackers built in I presume you refer to BMW connected drive. I have this and thought it a good system but there are plenty of videos on YouTube explaining exactly where this tracker is fitted. There are also videos of cars that have been stolen and within 1/4 of a mile the tracker found by the side of the road as its installed in an easy to access location. As a result I'm not renewing my subscription to the service but installing a market leading tracker which they fit to random locations within the car and nowhere near the factory fitted device.
The problem with anything factory fitted is standardisation. Thieves use YouTube extensively to prepare before committing thefts of high value vehicles.
Jeff
I asked Jeff If I could put his email out.
Hi Jeff,
Yes that's fine. Just don't want people having the same false sense of security I did.
Regards
Jeff
NEXT: from Honor Ryan at Trading Standards:
Morning
This weather has provided the perfect conditions, for people to require roofing work (or be made to think they do!)
We have been made aware of some fliers that have been posted around the Borough in relation to roofing and guttering works. Yesterday this was around Old Windsor – one of the businesses, appears to be legitimate, but one is not and we are looking into this.
Please advise your readers, not to immediately contact any business that makes unsolicited contact with them, without first looking into whether or not, the business has provided a valid address and that they are actually, registered with any bodies they make claims about - e.g. Checkatrade.
Then, if they wish to go ahead, make sure they ask for a full written quotation and 14 day cancellation notice, before any work begins.
If any payments are to be made, this should be on completion of the job only and for the original agreed price only, nothing more.
It might be worth attaching our advice leaflet to your alert also.
Thank you
Honor Ryan
RBWM Trading Standards Service
The leaflet is copied out at the bottom of this message.
CRIME
MAIDENHEAD CENTRAL:
maidenheadcentralnhpt@thamesvalley.pnn.police.uk15/1 Wednesday 8 p.m. / 9 p.m. Pub Car Park, Bath Road. Car window smashed - no entry gained and nothing stolen.
15/1 Wednesday 9.40 p.m. Station Approach. Car badly keyed.
15/1 Wednesday 2.30 a.m. / 3 a.m. All Saints Avenue. The owner heard grinding noise in the night. In the morning they found their catalytic converter had been stolen from a Toyota Prius.
14/1 - 15/1 Tuesday 5 p.m. / 12.30 p.m. St. Marks Road. Catalytic converter stolen from under a Toyota Prius.
RIVERSIDE & BELMONT:
NO CRIME TO REPORT
MAIDENHEAD WEST
maidenheadwestnhpt@thamesvalley.pnn.police.ukBISHAM, COOKHAM, HURLEY, THE WALTHAMS, LITTLEWICK GREEN & KNOWL HILL:
15/1 Wednesday 6.45 p.m. / 10 p.m. Pub Car Park, Littlefield Green. Car passenger window smashed - LAPTOP, external hard drive, handbag and contents and mobile stolen.
16/1 Thursday midnight / 8 a.m. Odney Lane, Cookham. Car rear windscreen smashed and searched - LAPTOP stolen.
PINKNEYS GREEN & FURZE PLATT:
15/1 Wednesday 10.10 p.m. Furze Platt Road. Catalytic converter stolen from under a Lexus RX300.
MAIDENHEAD SOUTH
maidenheadsouthnhpt@thamesvalley.pnn.police.ukBOYN HILL, COX GREEN & WOODLANDS PARK:
17/1 Friday 9.05 a.m. Clare Road. The aggrieved saw two men outside his house trying to kick in the front door. They also had tools and a jemmy with them. When they realised they had been seen, they immediately ran off.
16/1 Thursday 3.15 a.m. Rutland Road. The owner was awoken by a grinding noise and looked outside. They saw two men standing near his car holding a pole and a drill. He immediately called 999. The police attended and carried out an area search, but no-one was located. The catalytic converter had been stolen.
15/1 - 16/1 Wednesday 12 noon / Thursday 10 a.m. Rutland Road. Catalytic converter stolen from und a Honda Jazz
OLDFIELD, BRAY & HOLYPORT:
15/1 Wednesday 7.45 p.m. / 7.50 p.m. Brayfield Road, Bray. Car entered and searched - LAPTOP stolen.
16/1 Thursday 1.30 a.m. Pamela Row, Ascot Road, Holyport. The owners child was disturbed by a noise in the night. In the morning they found the catalytic converter had been stolen from under their Mitsubishi Grandis.
15/1 Wednesday 8 a.m. / 4 p.m. Braywick Road. Van break - hand saws and hand tools
