MOTORISTS in Exmouth have been warned to keep valuables out of sight following a spate of thefts from vehicles. A Devon and Cornwall Constabulary Police spokesperson said there had been an increase in the number of items taken from car parks since Easter

MOTORISTS in Exmouth have been warned to keep valuables out of sight following a spate of thefts from vehicles.

A Devon and Cornwall Constabulary Police spokesperson said there had been an increase in the number of items taken from car parks since Easter - with thieves, in-particular, targeting satellite navigation equipment.

The spokesperson said drivers should use more common sense when leaving vehicles unattended.

He added: "Officers do go into car parks where they know car theft is a problem. We also put up warning notices which display to drivers that they might be in a vulnerable area.

"None of this is rocket science and we would ask motorists to take constant precautions to stop themselves from becoming a victim of crime."

The warning, however, was a contrast to the impression drawn from police figures released in June which outlined there had been a reduction in car crime in the force.

It said vehicle thefts had fallen by 22 per cent to 2,500 per-year and thefts from cars dropped to less than 9,000 per-year.

The fall in numbers was attributed to the police force's use of capture cars, designed to record thieves with on-board cameras.

Det Insp Neil Blackhurst, from Devon and Cornwall Constabulary, said: "To get car crime down further we want people to lock their vehicles and remove temptation by removing any items from display.