Break-ins in Rock (Kidderminster)

THREE break-ins took place over the weekend in Rock.
The first incident happened between 4pm on Thursday, August 26, and 11.45am on Friday, August 27 in Rock Cross, when several items of camping equipment worth more than £300 were taken from a storage unit. Items included a tent, airbed, stoves and chairs.
Then the second incident happened between 8pm on Thursday, August 26, and 10am on Saturday, August 28 when a garage in Rectory Lane was broken into and a Husqvarna Chainsaw worth £200 and a B&Q drill worth £60 were stolen. The third incident was also in Rectory Lane. It happened between 9pm on Friday, August 27, and 10am on Saturday, August 28. A shed was broken into and a chainsaw and generator were taken.
PC Steve Yapp said: “We would like to hear from anyone who saw any suspicious activity in the area over the weekend or who may have been offered any items for sale similar to those stolen.”
Peter Aston, Kidderminster Police’s crime risk advisor, said: “We would remind shed owners that they should ensure they have sufficient security in place to prevent their belongings being stolen.
“Residents can improve the security of their sheds by fitting good quality locks to the shed door. The fittings should be bolted through the shed door and reinforced at the back with a steel plate. Any hasp should have concealed screws.
“For sheds that have exterior door hinges, replace existing screws with security screws which are designed so that they cannot be unscrewed once they are screwed in.
“Battery operated alarms may act as a deterrent or the house alarm could be upgraded to include the shed.
"A garden crime leaflet called ‘Tips to Nip Garden Crime in the Bud’ is available from police stations and garden centres in the West Mercia area or can be downloaded from the force's website, westmercia.police.uk”
Anyone with information should call PC Yapp on 0300 333 3000 quoting incident no 0558-S-280810, or call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.

(Reproduced from the Kidderminster Shuttle, 2nd Sept 2010)

Gardien Tip: See the article re Shed Security at http://www.garden-security.co.uk/shed-security-print.htm