3:02pm Thursday 2nd July 2009
Lancashire police's Stolen Vehicle Squad is asking milkmen and other early morning workers to help them cut the number of caravan thefts across the county.
People such as milkmen, taxi drivers and farmers are being asked to look out for any suspicious activity.
They’re also being asked to watch out for caravans being towed by vehicles which have a different registration plate.
A spokesperson for squad, said: "Caravans are normally stolen in the early hours of the morning which is why we’re targeting people like milkmen and other early morning workers.
"We’re asking them to look out for any suspicious behaviour where caravans are stored and also to look out for caravans which are being towed by vehicles containing men.
"The reason for this is because this type of offence is usually committed by men operating in small teams to disable security devises and quickly tow stolen caravans towards the motorway network.
"It’s highly likely that there will be more caravans on the roads as people get away to enjoy the warm weather we are experiencing so we would ask people to be extra vigilant at this time.”
In June and September of last year the squad identified a total of 36 stolen caravans in Spain worth £850,000 as part of a major investigation into caravan thefts.
They had all been stolen from various parts of North of England.
In April of this year a further eight stolen caravans worth £100,000 were recovered from Leisure Lakes Caravan Park at Mere Brow, near Preston.
Those caravans had been stolen from various locations across the UK and sold on by the thieves to innocent members of the public who have been duped into buying them.
DS Ingham added: “Generally, the occupiers of stolen caravans are innocent parties and it is unfortunate for them that they have bought what has turned out to be a stolen caravan. This can bring untold misery to those people as it often means they will lose out on huge sums of money.
“This is why it is so important that we target caravan thieves at the earliest opportunity and that anybody who has any information about caravan thefts contacts police.”
Anyone who witnesses a caravan being towed by a vehicle with a different registration plate is asked to report it by ringing 08451 25 35 45 giving a description, location and direction it is travelling in.
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