Car watch

The scheme is open to any drivers over the age of 25 and costs just £1 to join.

With membership, the motorist receives two stickers to place inside the front and rear windscreens of their car which are difficult to remove once in place and indicate that the vehicle should normally only be driven by someone over 25 years of age.

Motorists who display the scheme stickers do so to alert police officers who will stop drivers in the car who look 25 and challenge them.

Community Safety Officer at Altrincham police station, PC Tony Crompton told SUM: "The idea for the scheme came about after car crime figures were analysed and the 25 year mark gave us an indication of trends.

"We found that 80 per cent of vehicle theft is committed by persons under 25, whilst 70 per cent of the victims are over 25."

The whole aim of the scheme is to reduce the theft of vehicles- particularly by young offenders and has provided significant results since it's introduction.

PC Crompton added: "What we have found is that many young car thieves don't try to steal vehicles with 25 scheme stickers displayed as they know they are very likely to be stopped by the police.

"Anyone can join the scheme and to do so, just pop into their local police station with £1."

POLICE are urging people to keep listening to their advice and hide possessions from view in their vehicles.

PC Tony Crompton from Altrincham said: "If there is nothing visible in the vehicle, a thief will not waste his time breaking in."

He continued: "The most effective form of any crime prevention is what we call 'Target Removal' - if it isn't there, it can't be stolen.

"With this in mind, motorists should remove all stealable items from display and take removeable audio equipment panels off and put them in the boot or take them from the vehicle altogether."

AFTER last week's Carwatch article - the true cost of crime - SUM has heard from several car owners who have been the victim of opportunist thieves.

One reader contacted us about an incident that happened to her family last year on a sunny summer evening.

She said: "We have two cars and my husband was changing them around in the driveway of our semi-detached house in Hale.

"After pulling the first car out onto the road, he left the engine running with the keys in the ignition and went to move the second car.

"As he was reversing, he looked into the rear view mirror and saw somebody jump into the other car and drive off."

The reader added that her husband gave chase until he was advised by a local neighbour that he had seen the thieves act before and was told that they usually headed into Wythenshawe to meet up with friends.

She went on: "The company car was finally found on a field completely wrecked and we also had to have our house locks changed because the keys were on the same bunch as the car keys.

"It just goes to show that car thieves only need a moment to act and I would advise anyone to be vigilant and not put house keys with car keys wherever possible, as it caused our family no end of concern for some months in case the thieves returned."

Converted for the new archive on 13 March 2001. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.