Hampshire Constabulary

Police are appealing for witnesses after a van was broken into in Farnborough on Wednesday, June 23.

Between 2.15pm and 2.30pm a van was broken into while it was parked in the B&Q car park in Solarton Road.

Tools, a laptop, a digital camera and an iPod were then stolen. Officers believe three men who were driving a silver Mercedes estate were involved in the theft.

PC Nick Sexton, of the Farnborough Targeted Patrol Team, said: “This theft happened in broad daylight and there would have been other people at the car park at the time.

“The victim is desperate to have the property returned and we would ask anyone who saw anything suspicious to contact us as soon as possible.”

Hampshire Constabulary offers the following advice: 

• Don’t leave anything in your car – if it’s not there, then it can’t be stolen. 
• Choose a stereo that can be removed and make sure you take it with you! You should also mark it with your registration number or postcode, in case it is stolen.    
• Thieves aren’t picky, so don’t leave even low-value items. Often thieves will smash and grab first and look later to see if what they’ve stolen is valuable. 
• Don’t hide it – if you hide items under the seat or in the glove box, chances are someone will have watched you. If you cannot avoid leaving something in your car, put it in your boot before you begin your journey. 
• Don’t leave valuables in your car even for a minute – it only takes a thief a few seconds to smash a window and get what they want, so don’t take the chance. 
• Your car isn’t safe on your driveway – nearly half of all incidents where items are stolen from cars happen when they are parked overnight, close to the owner’s home. Don’t leave your house keys or anything with your address on it in your vehicle - someone could steal your keys and then let themselves into your home