Motorists urged to attend Bury Car Crime Clinics

Date published: 14 July 2009

A simple safety screw will be will be the police’s key weapon in the war against car crime at a series of vehicle safety surgeries to be held across Bury.

Officers will be running special safeplate clinics at supermarket car parks throughout the division during which they will fit one-way screws to drivers’ registration plates free of charge. The screws, which cannot be easily removed, are then covered with a security cap as an added deterrent.

The theft of number plates helps criminals to clone other cars, and victims might not be aware of what’s happened until speeding and parking tickets start arriving in the post.

Car thieves also steal number plates to commit crimes, such as driving off from petrol stations without paying. Victims can then have difficulty convincing authorities that it was not their car used to commit the offence.

Officers will also be distributing information packs on how motorists can avoid their cars being broken into which includes advice such as not leaving items on view in vehicles, always leaving vehicles secure and parking in well lit areas.

The vehicle safety surgeries will take place at the ASDA supermarket in Pilsworth on July 17 from noon; ASDA supermarket at Pilkington Way, Radcliffe on July 25 from 10am to 6pm; Stephen Smith’s Garden Centre, Radcliffe Moor Road, Radcliffe on July 26 from 10am to 3pm and at Tesco supermarket, Woodfield Retail Park, Bury, on July 25 and 26.

Chief Inspector Sean Hogan of GMP’s Bury Division said: “I would urge people to attend the clinics, because having these screws fitted is a simple measure that will reduce the risk of cars being targeted. Also, it costs nothing, doesn’t damage the car, and could save people a lot of money and heartache in the long term.”