A mate of mine in another force (keen caravanner) phoned me today to tell me about a couple of crooks caught out his way while stealing caravans.
They turn up at a house in a van.....in this case a Ford Transit...(with false reg plates) and with something like "Joe Bloggs Caravan Servicing and Repairs" on the side.....and reverse up to caravan. One guy gets out and crawls under the caravan. Engine on Transit left running......
When challenged by a neighbour, they say that the "crawler" is checking the van prior to towing...(H&S). They even show keys supposed to be for the lock(s)....wheel and hitch.
Using a portable Oxy/Acetelyne pack...the locks get cut off and the Transit engine covers the noise......
Caravan gets hitched up and away they go.....
In this case, the neighbour called the Police who stopped the van about 10 miles away.......undamaged.....apart from the locks........2 crooks arrested
A bit of enquiry later and nearly £100,000 of Caravans and bits recovered.........(it is easier to sell the bits off a stripped caravan......difficult to identify)
Why did the neighbour phone the Police......after all they seemed genuine........????????
They forgot to put the Transit number plate on the caravan....and she passed both the Transit and caravan number plate to the Police
Well done her, I say.........the couple who own the caravan have given the neighbour and her husband 2 weeks at a site by the sea.....site fees paid.......nice one.....
So if you see a caravan being towed and the numbers don't match...or the caravan displays a temp number on cardboard for eg.......phone the Police.......you might just solve a crime......and save a holiday......
Cheers.......
They turn up at a house in a van.....in this case a Ford Transit...(with false reg plates) and with something like "Joe Bloggs Caravan Servicing and Repairs" on the side.....and reverse up to caravan. One guy gets out and crawls under the caravan. Engine on Transit left running......
When challenged by a neighbour, they say that the "crawler" is checking the van prior to towing...(H&S). They even show keys supposed to be for the lock(s)....wheel and hitch.
Using a portable Oxy/Acetelyne pack...the locks get cut off and the Transit engine covers the noise......
Caravan gets hitched up and away they go.....
In this case, the neighbour called the Police who stopped the van about 10 miles away.......undamaged.....apart from the locks........2 crooks arrested
A bit of enquiry later and nearly £100,000 of Caravans and bits recovered.........(it is easier to sell the bits off a stripped caravan......difficult to identify)
Why did the neighbour phone the Police......after all they seemed genuine........????????
They forgot to put the Transit number plate on the caravan....and she passed both the Transit and caravan number plate to the Police
Well done her, I say.........the couple who own the caravan have given the neighbour and her husband 2 weeks at a site by the sea.....site fees paid.......nice one.....
So if you see a caravan being towed and the numbers don't match...or the caravan displays a temp number on cardboard for eg.......phone the Police.......you might just solve a crime......and save a holiday......
Cheers.......