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Car crooks pounce as cold motors warm up
Feature on Speeding cars in Dunchurch
TWO motorists discovered their vehicles had vanished from outside their homes when they left their cars unattended while the engines were running.
Thieves took their chance when a blue Volvo was left to warm up on a driveway in Warners End Road during a cold snap on Saturday, January 14.
The car was taken between 4.40pm and 4.46pm and later found by police abandoned in Park Hill Road, Hemel Hempstead.
Another vehicle was taken the following day from outside a home in Turner Court, Berkhamsted, when its owner, who was carrying out some work on the car, popped inside his home for a matter of minutes.
The blue Peugeot 406 was snatched between 5.45pm and 6pm on Sunday, January 15.
It was later found in The Front, Potten End.
Police have once again urged drivers not to leave their vehicles unattended when the engine is running.
Herts Constabulary issued advice during the recent cold snap, when some trusting motorists leave their vehicles running to allow the engine to heat up to help clear the windscreen of frost.
Police advice says: “Be smart – stay with your vehicle and never leave it unattended with the keys in the ignition, even for a second, when de-icing the windows.
“Thieves are opportunistic – don’t give them a free ride.
Extra motoring advice and how to register goods such as sat navs, so that they can easily be returned to owners if stolen and later recovered by police, is available at www.herts.police.uk
> Two people have been arrested in connection with the Berkhamsted theft. A 35-year-old man from Kings Langley and a 35-year-old woman from Berkhamsted have been bailed by police until February 4.
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Weather for Hemel Hempstead
Sunday 27 May 2012
Today
Sunny
Temperature: 10 C to 25 C
Wind Speed: 15 mph
Wind direction: East
Tomorrow
Light showers
Temperature: 12 C to 26 C
Wind Speed: 8 mph
Wind direction: North east
Comments
There are 10 comments to this article
Page 1 of 1
Whatsername
Friday, January 27, 2012 at 09:10 AMWhy are everyone talking about garages? It's got nothing at all to do with having a garage. If you don't want you car stollen, you don't leave it on it's own with the motor running! It's that simple!
PrivateDancer
Friday, January 27, 2012 at 08:34 AMGarage rent is £10.08 a week in Hemel. If you leave your car running and go back indoors you are an idiot.
harrygolightly
Friday, January 27, 2012 at 07:30 AMGarage or no garage, you shouldn't be stupid enough to leave the car running without being in it or next to it. You might aswell have put a sign on the front of it that says STEAL ME. Absolutely no sympathy at all from me and I'm actually a bit disappointed they got their car back.
hemeldave
Thursday, January 26, 2012 at 10:06 PMAround my way the council are knocking the garages down and putting houses on the sites.
marc
Thursday, January 26, 2012 at 06:59 PM1: there isnt a law about leaving unattended engines running. 2: if this website reported Police resources were being used to dish out fixed penalties to owners of unattended cars then you lot would have a field day. 3: council priced me out of owning a garage in 1994, I dread to think how much they cost to rent these days
fredkarno
Thursday, January 26, 2012 at 06:40 PMGraboel - dare I suggest there iswas a lot of garages available to rent. I know that in Hemel, the Borough Council had a lot of empty garages that they really didn't know what to do with. The same in Berkhamsted. In fact I know of a road that has a major problem with just a couple of hundred yards away lay a number of empty garages. I don't know of anywhere where there is a waiting list for garages - check with your local Council or estate agent as I'm often wrong.
golem11
Thursday, January 26, 2012 at 04:33 PMYou wouldn't leave your car unattended, unlocked and with the engine running anywhere else and expect to find it still there when you get back so I don't understand why people expect to get away with it when it's outside their home. Frankly I'm surprised mine is still on the drive most mornings even when it's been locked up all night, but then that's my neighbourhood for you.
Graboel
Thursday, January 26, 2012 at 04:14 PMfredkarno, not everyone has a garage, pretty ignorant comment if I'm honest.
fredkarno
Thursday, January 26, 2012 at 03:59 PMAlso you remember those things call garages. They are little buildings designed for housing metal boxes on wheels and so they don't get wet and frosty. We have one and I've even had a comment from someone who was passing that they had never seen 'a garage' with a metal wheeled box in it.
PrivateDancer
Thursday, January 26, 2012 at 03:38 PMI thought it was against the law to leave your car unattended with the engine running ? If so are the owners getting fines penalty points ?
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