Be careful, be very careful!

My wife has just had her car stolen! More accurately, she has had a car stolen which she was just about to buy.

We generally buy good quality cars which are three to five years old and keep them for five or more years. This has always given us great value for money motoring, and we are lucky enough never to have been hit by an unaffordable repair to our oldish cars.

Warrington has some very good dealers, one of which specialises in exactly the sort of car we like. As Caroline’s old car is close to giving up the ghost we had chosen, paid for, and were collecting, her replacement car late this afternoon. The dealer had got the car ready and had left it for a few minutes on the forecourt with the lights on and the engine running.

Yes you’ve guessed… an opportunist thief got in and drove it away; fortunately just before the car became our property. This is a common crime particularly during a cold snap when a lot of motorists leave the keys in their car while it warms up.

So please be very careful. While most crime in Lymm has declined, targeted car crime is on the rise. Thieves will break into a house or ‘fish’ for keys through a letter box and take a car from the drive. If the opportunity to simply drive away is there, they are likely to take it. Be very aware of this possibility, particularly during the cold winter weather and take every precaution. Never leave a car warming up with the keys in it!

If you are unlucky enough to be a victim do not, under any circumstances, try to stop the theft. Tragedies have occurred when owners try to protect their cars and get hit or run over.

These crimes are rare – but they do occur, and they occur in Lymm, so please be very careful!