car thefts - has this been mentioned here already?
 

iv just got back from a friends house around the corner from me and he showed me a A4 sized leaflet that the police have put through his door.

basicly it is sating for car owners to be aware of men with a low loader who are going around dressed up in high visability jackets just basicly loading up some poor sods car and driving off with it then scraping it in for scrap value, they are said to be wearing hi visability jackets and have clipboards etc so i guess they are trying to look legit

4 cars have been stolen this way from ossy so far and im not sure about the other areas as he didnt have the news paper to hand but apparently its been covered in the paper as well

not too happy that i didnt get a warning notice though but i guess they cant warn every car owner in the area

aint gonna say probably gypos

oops just did :o

sory i dont have more info but it may have already been mentioned here or somone may actualy have a copy of the police warning notice

Re: car thefts - has this been mentioned here already?
 

This is the first I've heard of it, Accyman.

I've not had a warning notice.

Very worrying.....hope it doesn't happen to any of us. :(

It's not something you can do much about really if you're out or even if you're in but have your curtains closed. You wouldn't know anything about it until you went out in the morning for work and found the car gone.

Robbing swines. :mad:

Re: car thefts - has this been mentioned here already?
 

I was told once that the best thefts were the boldest.

Someone once witnessed a couple of men in boiler suits walk into a pub, unplug the TV and walk off with it. No one stopped them until the landlord looked over and wondered why it had all gone quiet.

I guess what I'm saying is that i can absolutely believe that someone could do this sort of crime but they must have bottle.

Re: car thefts - has this been mentioned here already?
 

And there most likely to be doing it in daylight, at night when most thieves work people are suspicious to anything being removed, do it in daylight and having the right equipment, clothing etc and no-one will look twice, got to agree - you need bottle but thieves have plenty of it nowadays

Re: car thefts - has this been mentioned here already?
 

I didnt get a notice either, so thanks for the warning accyman, only one bunch of crooks I know of round here that would even think of doing this....Mmmm

Re: car thefts - has this been mentioned here already?
 

You should be ok, there is no second hand value in pink mini's ;)

Re: car thefts - has this been mentioned here already?
 

We got a notice, but I would rather have seen some more bobbys on the beat instead.

Re: car thefts - has this been mentioned here already?
 

Oh come on BG who would do the paper work, so they can keep up with government targets:D

Re: car thefts - has this been mentioned here already?
 

to stop this when you park up turn ur tyres alittle bit to the left/right meaning they cant get the straps around to tow your car onto the loader

Re: car thefts - has this been mentioned here already?
 

It’s a nice idea but don’t all cars have a tow point front and back concealed inside the bumper?

When I park I always turn the steering wheel slightly to the right or left but not for that reason.

If the steering wheel is central I can’t see the lock for my key unless I contort myself around the steering wheel.

Re: car thefts - has this been mentioned here already?
 

Someone = Max and Paddy,,, scene from pheonix nights that is gayle:) But ever so true.

Re: car thefts - has this been mentioned here already?
 

yeh but even if they did, they could not get the car up as they car would not go straight due to the wheels being turned

Re: car thefts - has this been mentioned here already?
 

This very same thing happened to me about 2 years ago. I had a lovely old Nova, was my pride and joy. Ok it sounded like a tank and the heater used to squeak but it was freedom for me and my daughter.

One morning at 7am the Police knocked on my door and said do you own a Nova, so I said yes wondering where it was when I looked past them and it was halfway down the road rammed into a lamppost!

The passenger side window had been smashed and they had tried to roll it down the road, but the steering lock had come on so it ended up in a lampost.

When I ask the Policemen why someone would want to nick an old Nova, they said they were loading them onto wagons and cashing them in for scrap!

Just to add insult to injury eh?! Apparently its mainly older cars they are targeting, and ones that are easier to get into.

Re: car thefts - has this been mentioned here already?
 

If you tow a car from the front with the wheels turned it would tend to turn but then get dragged against its wishes onto the low loader. The thieves wouldn’t care that the tyres are getting damaged. Have you ever watched a pranged car being dragged onto a low loader?

Then there are those tow trucks that lift the front off the deck. What about those trucks with a crane onboard?

But if turning the steering wheel deters some then go for it. It can’t do any harm and it might just prevent a sloppy thief.

Re: car thefts - has this been mentioned here already?
 

They can still be lifted like that, I have seen it done.

Re: car thefts - has this been mentioned here already?
 

So do I now chain my car to a lamp post, or will they take that as well?

Re: car thefts - has this been mentioned here already?
 

Only if it's cast iron:hehetable

Re: car thefts - has this been mentioned here already?
 

The local authority doesn’t like people chaining things to its lampposts.

It gets all cranky.

Re: car thefts - has this been mentioned here already?
 

Is that your local authority or mine? My local authority have nothing to do with lamp posts so probably wont care.

Re: car thefts - has this been mentioned here already?
 

theres a simple way to deter this crime, just pass a law saying log book etc, must be provided at scrap yard before acceptance of a vehicle, if not the yard loses its licence. but thats too simple.:rolleyes:

Re: car thefts - has this been mentioned here already?
 

Good point there cashy, but i would rather see the police and trading standards at the scrap yards more often and this may deter illegal scrapping of stolen cars and drains and other bits like copper as these scrap yards are as criminal as the theives themselves

Re: car thefts - has this been mentioned here already?
 

think theres far more important stuff in the community they can be getting on with jacky, i prefer legislation, that way all ya need is someone to inspect scrap yards n paperwork etc, there aint that many thesedays, so not beyond it,:)

Re: car thefts - has this been mentioned here already?
 

Years ago a neighbour wrapped his car around a lamppost and he got the bill from Blackburn with Darwen Borough Council for the repair. Thus I assume that lampposts are the responsibility of the local authority.

But that was then and this is now so I rang the Blackburn with Darwen Borough Council to ask the question.

I was told that the Blackburn with Darwen Borough Council Highway Authority known as the “Traffic Division” is responsible for all adopted streets and roads within the borough and that includes lampposts, road signs, kerb side railings etc. The “Traffic Division” works in conjunction with United Utilities if electricity is involved in the structure.

I also asked what was the policy on the public using lampposts to chain a scooter to. The lady that I spoke to was unable to give an answer, but off the record she hinted that as long as the chain does not damage the lamppost no one would bother and of course it would depend on which lamppost.

I would imagine that other boroughs would have a similar responsibility.

Re: car thefts - has this been mentioned here already?
 

How much did it cost you to get it back Neil:D

Re: car thefts - has this been mentioned here already?
 

well i got back from my hols today and the neigbours told me about how teh gypo's have been driving down our street almost every night in a white van which is probably teh theives checking out which cars are on which drives each night

no one actualy bothered to call the police though and pass on ths bit of information but saying that i just tried ringing both accrington and blackburn police and cant get an answer from either of them

just glad i took my car with me

hope these scumbags get caught by some realy big guy with a crowbar rather than the police ;)

Re: car thefts - has this been mentioned here already?
 

I got told about it about 20 years ago from a guy I knew in Manchester - I wonder if the same incident inspired the scene?

Re: car thefts - has this been mentioned here already?
 

Maintenance of highways does generally include lamp posts and certainly does in Lancaster, Manchester, Preston and Bolton, because I was working for a personal injury barrister not so long ago and lighting of the highway was one of the things you ask about when someone injures themself and it was in the council reports whether there had had to be any repairs.

I can't imagine Oswaldtwistle being an exception to this because the Highways Act surely applies to everyone and this is pretty much what dictates to the council about what should be maintained. Whether I am absolutely correct or not I couldn't tell you because I don't particularly want to start reading the Highways Act to check :p it's quite a bore!

Re: car thefts - has this been mentioned here already?
 

I have a feeling that is the case at the moment with licensed breakers and the Vehicle has to be de-registered before scrapping.
The breakers then notify the DVLA that the vehicle has indeed been rendered inoperative.
That is a vehicle from a registered owner.........If the owner of the vehicle cannot be traced then it is up to the local authority to dispose of the vehicle.

Re: car thefts - has this been mentioned here already?
 

Blackburn with Darwen are responcible for their own street maintanance, lighting, roads gutters pavements ect, as they are a unitry authority, places like Hyndburn, Rossendale and Burnley, are part of LCC who are responcible for the upkeep of all roads lighting and footpaths not the local council. Hyndburn used to do road repairs under licence from LCC, but now the County do their own

Re: car thefts - has this been mentioned here already?
 

Left the doors open - key in ignition and log book in glove compartment the damn things still there.:confused::confused::confused: