Check your vehicle is secured: Advice for protecting against car key burglary

Detectives investigating a number of car key burglaries in rural villages are urging drivers to take simple steps to protect their homes and vehicles.

Northamptonshire Police is issuing the warning after a home was broken into in Yelvertoft at around 2.30am yesterday, Tuesday, December 3, with an Audi RS4 then stolen from outside the property.

Officers are urging people to evaluate their home security and consider adding security lighting, CCTV, or locks on garden gates, as well as keeping their car keys secure and away from doors or windows.

Detective Inspector Gav Suttie, of the Force’s Burglary Team West, said: “Our advice is simple but can make a real difference in making your home and vehicle less attractive to thieves.

“It can be easy to become complacent if you live in a quiet village, but criminals can and do travel so we’re hoping to remind people of the easy things they can do to protect themselves.”

Advice for protecting your home and vehicle

• Lock all doors and windows when you go out, and get into the habit of keeping your door locked even when you’re at home
• Evaluate your home security – adding layers such as extra lighting, CCTV/smart doorbell and decent locks on garages and gates all come together to deter criminals
• Keep your keys in a secure location out of sight, and take them upstairs when you go to bed
• Store keyless entry vehicle fobs in a Faraday pouch – the Defender Signal Blocker – RFID Faraday pouch is a police-approved product and costs around £7 for two
• If you can, park your car in a secure garage, or behind a secure gate if you park your car on a driveway
• Make sure your car is parked under good lighting – this means potential offenders can be easily seen, increasing the chances of putting them off trying to steal your car, and of them being caught if they do

Any suspicious activity should be reported by calling Northamptonshire Police on 101. Always call 999 if a crime is in progress or life could be at risk.

Find more crime prevention advice here: www.northants.police.uk/cp