Man arrested following Bradley Stoke number plates theft

A man has appeared in court after being charged with a number of vehicle-related crimes that include the theft of number plates from a car in Bradley Stoke.

Officers praised members of the public who reported a man man trying car door handles in Winterbourne on Thursday afternoon, 9th August 2012.

A man was arrested in the area soon afterwards.

A 36-year-old man from Bristol appeared before Bristol magistrates on Saturday 11th August charged with vehicle interference in Winterbourne; theft of an ipad, laptop and watch from a car in Bristol; theft of number plates from a car in Bradley Stoke and attempted theft from a car in Coalpit Heath.

He is currently on conditional court bail pending his next court appearance.

Community Safety Inspector Gerry Treacy said:

“South Gloucestershire is a safe place to live and work, but criminals do sometimes travel to lower-crime areas hoping we’ll all be less security-conscious.”

“My advice is to lock your car whenever you leave it and try not to leave anything valuable inside. Register your sat-nav, mobile phone and stereo equipment for free at www.immobilise.com and mark items you can’t remove with your postcode.”

“This deters thieves because it means the property can be identified as stolen and the real owner traced. You can secure number-plates cheaply using security screws.”

For more vehicle security advice visit www.avonandsomerset.police.uk.

News of the arrest follows a report of number plates being stolen from a car in Juniper Way earlier this year.

According to the AA, number plate thefts have more than doubled in the last five years and there were at least 40,000 cases last year.

Stolen number plates are often switched to other vehicles – by those who don’t want to be found out when they commit offences such as ‘bilking’ (driving away from a petrol forecourt without paying).