Derbyshire police warnings over caravan safety after thefts

Between August and October 2014 a total of 17 caravans were stolen, many of these were from storage provided at farm locations.

Detective Constable Paul Hackett from Matlock CID said: “As the caravanning season has now come to an end we are reminding people who own touring caravans to ensure that they are properly secured and that steps are taken to help to prevent thefts.

“In recent years the level of reported thefts of touring caravans has reduced substantially, however that is of little consequence to those who become a victim of this type of crime. As a caravan owner it is important to make sure that you do all that you can to protect the security of your caravan, which after all for many is a substantial investment.”

Advice given by the Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO) Vehicle Crime Intelligence Service includes:

If your caravan has an alarm system then make sure that it works. If it has an after theft recovery device fitted then make sure that you have paid the subscription for the monitoring (many insurers provide a benefit for using these devices, but failure to pay the subscription may leave your insurance invalid).

If you leave equipment in your caravan when it is stored then mark this with your postcode using a UV pen. Not only does this protect your property when you are using the caravan on a site, but it also provides permanent identification should any offender seek to sell, or dispose of stolen goods.

Ensure that you visit your caravan regularly to check it. Many places provide storage, but there is no check of your property once it is parked there. Ensure that you make regular visits; some of the caravans stolen have not been seen by their owners for a number of months.

For further advice contact your local Safer Neighbourhood team on 101, the Caravan Club http://www.caravanclub.co.uk/ or ACPO Vehicle Crime Intelligence Service http://avcis.police.uk/ .