OPPORTUNIST thieves have been taking advantage of the grim weather to steal the cars of conscientious motorists.
It follows two incidents in North Yorkshire where drivers left their cars unattended while defrosting them - only to have them stolen by passing criminals.
The thefts happened in Thirsk and Littlethorpe near Ripon on Tuesday when the cars were left unattended with the engine running and the drivers returned to their houses. The vehicle stolen from Thirsk was a red Ford Fiesta and it was last seen heading towards Busby Stoop just after 8am.
The car stolen from Littlethorpe was a blue Isuzu Trooper and was last seen heading towards Ripon at about 10am.
A police spokesman said: “It appears that the thieves were driving around the area looking for such opportunities to steal cars.
“The advice from North Yorkshire Police is very simple and very obvious: never leave your vehicle unattended with the engine running.”
Anyone who witnessed either of these thefts or witnesses anything suspicious is asked to contact police on 0845 6060 247. Alternatively they can contact Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555111.
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